The buff-breasted paradise kingfisher is a bird in the tree kingfisher subfamily, Halcyoninae. It is native to Australia and New Guinea. It migrates in November from New Guinea to its breeding grounds in the rainforest of North Queensland, Australia. Like all paradise kingfishers, this bird has colourful plumage with a red bill, buff breast and distinctive long tail streamers.
Region
Australasia
Typical Environment
Breeds in lowland and foothill rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia, and spends the non-breeding season in southern and eastern New Guinea. Occupies primary and well-developed secondary rainforest, vine thickets, and riparian forest, often near clearings or along forest edges. Frequently uses areas with arboreal termite mounds for nesting. Forages in the shaded understory and along the forest floor, moving between low perches and leaf litter.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This striking kingfisher breeds in the rainforests of north-eastern Australia and spends the non-breeding season in New Guinea. It often excavates its nest tunnel into active arboreal or terrestrial termite mounds. The elongated white tail streamers are used in display and make the bird instantly recognizable in the dim rainforest understory.
Buff-breasted paradise kingfisher nest in termite mound, Cairns, Jan 2021
Buff-breasted paradise kingfisher eggs from NMV
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct, low flights through the understory
Social Behavior
Typically found singly or in pairs during the breeding season. Pairs nest in tunnels excavated into active termite mounds and defend small territories. Clutch is usually laid in the wet season, with both parents attending the young.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Its call is a clear, whistled series that may descend in pitch, often repeated at intervals from a concealed perch. Soft chattering notes are given during close interactions and around the nest.
Plumage
Glossy blue upperparts with black head and mantle, white throat and nape patch, and warm buff to orange-buff underparts. Long white central tail streamers extend well beyond the tail, often with dark tips.
Diet
Primarily feeds on large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and caterpillars. Also takes spiders and occasionally small vertebrates like skinks or frogs. Prey is seized from the ground or low vegetation and often beaten against a perch before swallowing.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along shaded trails, creek margins, and leaf-littered patches within dense rainforest. Uses low horizontal perches for watch-and-sally foraging and probes into leaf litter around roots and fallen logs.
