Kingfishers

The Little Kingfisher (Alcedo pusilla) is just that. At an average size of 12cm, it is smaller than a House Sparrow. They are usually seen zipping past you, followed by an expletive because you missed it! The species is an exotic kingfisher found across the north of Australia and into Papua New Guinea and the Soloman Islands where there are actually 9 sub-species. When hunting, they generally sit on branches that overhang water.  

Slightly larger than the Little Kingfisher and our comparative, the House Sparrow, is the Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea). It is the most brightly coloured with a royal blue back and vivid orange front. Again, they perch on branches when looking for food.

Their range is more extensive than the Little Kingfisher, which makes them more commonly seen. They rarely stray away from waterways and can either be seeing flying low and fast over the water or sitting over it.

The Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii) is a rhapsody in blue, albeit that the breast is white! It can be tricky to tell apart from the Sacred Kingfisher but the 2 white spots above the bill and large white patches on the wing, visible in flight, give it away. 

It is a stunning kingfisher, often looking like it is almost glowing. Usually it is seen from car windows as it has a tendency to perch on power lines and posts. The Forest Kingfisher is found in eastern and northern parts of Australia and into PNG.

The Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygia) is surprisingly a bird of desert areas, found mainly in the dry interior of Australia. It is an endemic bird and a wonderful first find for birders. 

The red rump is often visible as the bird sits with the wings slightly parted. The white head with black stripes are also diagnostic and helpful if you can't see the back of the bird.

Like the Forest Kingfisher, it is often seeing perching on wires as it scans the area.

The Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) is probably the most well known and common kingfisher of this size across Australasia. It is, in fact, the only kingfisher species found in New Zealand and also found north through to Indonesia. 

The Sacred Kingfisher is unique in that it has very variable plumage, often looking a totally different colour in sunlight and shade. The photos above show the range from deep blue to bright green. Some birds have a very orange front and others, plain cream. 

The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is an icon of Australia with its incredible cackling call and large size. It is actually hard to believe it is a kingfisher at all. This species of kookaburra is actually only native to eastern Australia but was introduced to Tasmania and Western Australia (hence the orange colouring). 

Amazingly, the Laughing Kookaburra is a common bird and is usually seen in pairs or larger familial groups. They 'sing' most at dawn and dusk and are often attributed to broken early morning sleep! 

The Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) is my favourite kingfisher species. It is even larger than the Laughing Kookaburra and found only in northern Australia, being less common. 

The pale eye gives a severe look to the Blue-winged Kookaburra and the blue wing patches often sparkle in sunlight. It is usually found in forested areas, parks and gardens.

Like the other Kookaburra, it is usually not alone and the calls of a group of these birds is raucous and very loud.