The Kofiau paradise kingfisher is a tree kingfisher belonging to the family Alcedinidae, subfamily Halcyoninae.
Region
Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia
Typical Environment
Endemic to Kofiau and nearby islets, occupying primary and mature secondary lowland rainforest. It favors dense interior forest but also occurs along forest edges, creek lines, and lightly disturbed areas with tall canopy. Birds typically hold territories that include shaded perches for hunting and access to suitable nesting substrates such as arboreal termite mounds. Human settlements and extensive clearing limit its occurrence outside intact forest blocks.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Kofiau paradise kingfisher is a tree kingfisher in the family Alcedinidae, subfamily Halcyoninae, confined to the small island of Kofiau in the Raja Ampat archipelago of Indonesia. Like other paradise-kingfishers, it has strikingly long white tail streamers used in display and identification. It nests in arboreal termite mounds or rotting wood cavities and hunts by sallying from shaded forest perches.
Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans
Temperament
shy and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with swift, low darts between perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs that defend forest territories. Pairs are presumed monogamous and nest in cavities excavated in arboreal termite mounds or soft rotting wood. Both sexes participate in territory defense and provisioning of young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, piping whistles and descending notes delivered from shaded perches. Calls can carry through dense forest and often precede brief foraging sallies.
