Mewing Kingfisher Todiramphus ruficollaris Scientific name definitions

19–22 cm. Chunky, large-billed kingfisher with greenish-blue crown, cheeks, and upperparts, bluest on wings and tail, rest of plumage pale, except eyebrow and collar, which are strongly tinged rufous or ochre, as are sides of breast  , and in female this colour extends across the breast; bill black with pale pink or greyish base to mandible, iris blackish brown, legs and feet blackish grey with pale yellowish-flesh soles. Juvenile presumably similar to that of T. tutus, with narrow pale buff tips to median, greater and primary-coverts.

Usually considered conspecific with T. tutus, but differs in voice, consisting of apparently two calls not heard from tutus, with none of latter’s “noisy chattering” (3); green of mid-crown extending onto forehead as almost complete cap (2); pale rufous vs white supercilium, nape and neck side (2) (1 Holyoak, D. T. (1974). Undescribed land birds from the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 94(4):145–150. Close ). A recently published and near-comprehensive molecular phylogeny for Todiramphus in the Australasian and Pacific regions has provided additional support for the split, by demonstrating that all three subspecies of T. tutus are each other’s closest relatives, but ruficollaris, while belonging to the same clade, is sister to T. veneratus (2 Andersen, M.J., Shult, H.T., Cibois, A., Thibault, J.-C., Filardi, C.E. and Moyle, R.G. (2015). Rapid diversification and secondary sympatry in Australo-Pacific kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae: Todiramphus). Royal Society Open Science. 2: 140375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.140375. Close ). Shortly after its publication, present specific name was thought to be preoccupied by the taxon described as “Alcyone ruficollaris”, which at the time was listed under T. sanctus; as a result, substitute name mangaia was introduced; however, “Alcyone ruficollaris” was then shown to refer to a form belonging in Ceyx azureus, leaving the name ruficollaris available and valid for present species (3 Schodde, R. and Holyoak, D.T. (1977). Application of Halcyon ruficollaris Holyoak and Alcyone ruficollaris Bankier. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 97(1): 32. Close ). Monotypic.

Mangaia (SE Cook Is).

Presumably sedentary.

Takes worms, caterpillars, grubs, termites, grasshoppers, stick-insects, cockroaches, moths, spiders and once a small marine fish, with lizards forming a particularly important part of the diet. Foraging behaviour similar to that of T. tutus, with prey taken at all levels of the forest, from the ground, leaves and trunks in the midstorey and upper canopy, as well as aerially within and above the canopy.

Lays in Nov–Jan. Breeds as pairs, or as trios (15%) containing either two males or two females; in trios, both males copulated several times with female, suggesting polyandry. Territorial, birds call from treetops with bill pointed vertically; courtship feeding and copulation increased after nest-building, continued into incubation phase. Nest excavated by pair or trio in rotten trunk of Hibiscus or Cocos tree, in decaying limb of other living tree (Barringtonia, Albizia, Hernandia) or in tree cavity, 1·5–10 m above ground; many trees have several holes, up to 23 in a coconut stump; entrance hole 4·5 cm in diameter, with short tunnel and enlarged nest-chamber. Clutch 2–3 white eggs, diameter 22·1–23 mm, laid on successive days, all three-egg clutches being from trios; incubation period 21–23 days, all adults incubating in bouts averaging 42 minutes; all feed and brood the young; fledging period c. 26 days. Presence of Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) at a nest considerably reduced feeding of the nestlings; eggs and chicks possibly predated by migrant Long-tailed Koel (Urodynamys taitensis). In a recent study of ten kingfisher nests in disturbed forest, 11 young were raised from seven nests; mynas were the cause of failure in one nest and were thought responsible for the failure of the other two.<

VULNERABLE. Restricted-range species: present in Southern Cook Islands EBA. Population assessed to number 100–1000 in 1973, 100–300 in 1984, fewer than 200 in 1990 and 250–450 individuals in 1992, then finally reassessed at 400–700 in 1997–1997; at this time, densities ranged from 0·41 birds/ha in Barringtonia asiatica forest and 0·37/ha in other indigenous forest to 0·21/ha in secondary forest. Historically, the species has declined as result of forest fragmentation and loss caused by clearance for agriculture, and browsing by goats; also faces competition for food and nesting sites from introduced Common Myna, and possibly preyed on by introduced cats and rats (Rattus). However, the population is currently believed to be stable (since the late 1990s), and apparently resilient, even in areas of myna abundance. Clearance for agriculture and browsing by goats cause habitat loss and forest fragmentation, whilst pigs affect forest regeneration and human disturbance may have an impact on birds in SW Mangaia. In 1996, a baseline survey and vegetation and rat-trapping studies were conducted, followed in 1997 by the first simple census. The feasibility of eradicating Common Myna from the island was assessed in 2006, which concluded that NZ$100,000 was required for such a scheme to be successful, and a detailed study of nesting success in an area where mynas are abundant started in the same year.