The tree kingfishers, also called wood kingfishers or Halcyoninae, are the most numerous of the three subfamilies of birds in the kingfisher family, with 72 species divided into 11 genera, including several species of kookaburras. The subfamily appears to have arisen in Indochina and Maritime Southeast Asia and then spread to many areas around the world. Tree kingfishers are widespread through Asia and Australasia, but also appear in Africa and the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, using a range of habitats from tropical rainforest to open woodlands. The tree kingfishers are short-tailed, large-headed, compact birds with long, pointed bills. Like other Coraciiformes, they are brightly coloured. Most are monogamous and territorial, nesting in holes in trees or termite nests. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Although some tree kingfishers frequent wetlands, none are specialist fish-eaters. Most species dive onto prey from a perch, mainly taking slow-moving invertebrates or small vertebrates.
Taxonomy The tree kingfisher subfamily is often given the name Daceloninae introduce by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1841, but the name Halcyoninae introduced by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825 is earlier and has priority. The subfamily Halcyoninae is one of three subfamilies in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. The other two are Alcedininae and Cerylinae. The subfamily contains around 70 species divided into 12 genera. A molecular study published in 2017 found that the genera Dacelo and Actenoides as currently defined are paraphyletic. The shovel-billed kookaburra in the monotypic genus Clytoceyx sits within Dacelo and the glittering kingfisher in the monotypic genus Caridonax lies within Actenoides.
List of species Genus Actenoides Green-backed kingfisher, Actenoides monachus Scaly-breasted kingfisher, Actenoides princeps Moustached kingfisher, Actenoides bougainvillei Spotted wood kingfisher, Actenoides lindsayi Blue-capped kingfisher, Actenoides hombroni Rufous-collared kingfisher, Actenoides concretus Genus Melidora Hook-billed kingfisher, Melidora macrorrhina Genus Lacedo Banded kingfisher, Lacedo pulchella
Genus Tanysiptera, paradise kingfishers Common paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera galatea Kofiau paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera ellioti Biak paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera riedelii Numfor paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera carolinae Little paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera hydrocharis Buff-breasted paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera sylvia Black-capped paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera nigriceps Red-breasted paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera nympha Brown-headed paradise kingfisher, Tanysiptera danae Genus Cittura Sulawesi lilac kingfisher, Cittura cyanotis Sangihe lilac kingfisher, Cittura sanghirensis Genus Dacelo, kookaburras Laughing kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae Blue-winged kookaburra, Dacelo leachii Spangled kookaburra, Dacelo tyro Shovel-billed kookaburra, Dacelo rex Rufous-bellied kookaburra, Dacelo gaudichaud Genus Caridonax White-rumped kingfisher, Caridonax fulgidus Genus Pelargopsis Stork-billed kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis Great-billed kingfisher, Pelargopsis melanorhyncha Brown-winged kingfisher, Pelargopsis amauroptera
Genus Halcyon Ruddy kingfisher, Halcyon coromanda White-throated kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis Brown-breasted kingfisher, Halcyon gularis Javan kingfisher, Halcyon cyanoventris Chocolate-backed kingfisher, Halcyon badia Black-capped kingfisher, Halcyon pileata Grey-headed kingfisher, Halcyon leucocephala Brown-hooded kingfisher, Halcyon albiventris Striped kingfisher, Halcyon chelicuti Blue-breasted kingfisher, Halcyon malimbica Woodland kingfisher, Halcyon senegalensis Mangrove kingfisher, Halcyon senegaloides Genus Todirhamphus Blue-black kingfisher, Todirhamphus nigrocyaneus Rufous-lored kingfisher, Todirhamphus winchelli Blue-and-white kingfisher, Todirhamphus diops Lazuli kingfisher, Todirhamphus lazuli Forest kingfisher, Todirhamphus macleayii White-mantled kingfisher, Todirhamphus albonotatus Ultramarine kingfisher, Todirhamphus leucopygius Vanuatu kingfisher, Todirhamphus farquhari Sombre kingfisher, Todirhamphus funebris Collared kingfisher, Todirhamphus chloris Torresian kingfisher, Todirhamphus sordidus Islet kingfisher, Todirhamphus colonus Mariana kingfisher, Todirhamphus albicilla Melanesian kingfisher, Todirhamphus tristrami Pacific kingfisher, Todirhamphus sacer Talaud kingfisher, Todirhamphus enigma Guam kingfisher, Todirhamphus cinnamominus Rusty-capped kingfisher, Todiramphus pelewensis Pohnpei kingfisher, Todiramphus reichenbachii Beach kingfisher, Todirhamphus saurophaga Sacred kingfisher, Todirhamphus sanctus Flat-billed kingfisher, Todirhamphus recurvirostris Cinnamon-banded kingfisher, Todirhamphus australasia Chattering kingfisher, Todirhamphus tuta Mewing kingfisher, Todirhamphus ruficollaris Society kingfisher, Todirhamphus veneratus Mangareva kingfisher, Todirhamphus gambieri Niau kingfisher, Todirhamphus gertrudae Marquesan kingfisher, Todirhamphus godeffroyi Red-backed kingfisher, Todirhamphus pyrrhopygia Genus Syma Yellow-billed kingfisher, Syma torotoro Mountain kingfisher, Syma megarhyncha
Description Kingfishers are short-tailed, large-headed, compact birds with long, pointed bills. Like other Coraciiformes, they are brightly coloured. The tree kingfishers are medium to large species, mostly typical kingfishers in appearance, although shovel-billed kookaburra has a huge conical bill, and the Tanysiptera paradise kingfishers have long tail streamers. Some species, notably the kookaburras, show sexual dimorphism.
Distribution and habitat Most tree kingfishers are found in the warm climates of Africa, southern and southeast Asia, and Australasia. No members of this family are found in the Americas. The origin of the family is thought to have been in tropical Australasia, which still has the most species. Tree kingfishers use a range of habitats from tropical rainforest to open woodlands and thornbush country. Many are not closely tied to water, and can be found in arid areas of Australia and Africa.
Breeding
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