The sacred kingfisher is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the western Pacific.
Region
Australasia and western Pacific
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across mainland Australia, New Zealand, and many islands of the western Pacific, including New Caledonia and Vanuatu. It favors mangroves, open woodlands, forest edges, river valleys, and coastal scrub, and readily uses farmlands and parks with scattered trees. The species typically avoids dense closed-canopy rainforest interiors but is common along ecotones and waterways. It often perches conspicuously on branches, fences, or powerlines overlooking open ground or shallow water.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Despite its name, the sacred kingfisher feeds mostly on land-dwelling prey rather than fish. It is a sit-and-wait hunter that drops from low perches to seize insects, small reptiles, crustaceans, and occasionally small fish. Pairs typically nest in burrows excavated in earthen banks, rotting tree limbs, or even arboreal termite mounds. Many populations move seasonally, shifting toward coasts or lower elevations in winter.
Wonga, Queensland, Australia
Holotype of Halcyon norfolkiensis Tristram (NML-VZ T6527) held at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool
Two kingfisher burrows in a bank near Te Wahapu Inlet, near Russell, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Kingfishers feeding at Pauatahanui Inlet, New Zealand
T. s. vagans eating a dark-flecked garden sunskink
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining well-defined territories, especially during breeding. Pairs excavate nest chambers in earthen banks, tree cavities, or arboreal termite mounds, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties. They are generally monogamous within a breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A sharp, repeated kek-kek-kek or ki-ki-ki delivered in rapid series, often from a prominent perch. Calls can become more insistent around territory boundaries and during the breeding season.
