Alcedo

This article is about the kingfisher genus. For other uses, see Alcedo (disambiguation).

Alcedo
Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Alcedinidae
Subfamily:	Alcedininae
Genus:	Alcedo Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Alcedo ispida Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See text

Phylogeny

Alcedo Javan blue-banded kingfisher Blue-eared kingfisher Blyth's kingfisher Half-collared kingfisher Shining-blue kingfisher Cerulean kingfisher Common kingfisher

Cladogram based on Andersen et al. (2017)[1]

Alcedo is a genus of birds in the kingfisher subfamily Alcedininae. The genus was introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae.^[2] The type species is the common kingfisher (Alcedo ispida, now Alcedo atthis ispida).^[3] Alcedo is the Latin for "kingfisher".^[4]

Species

The genus contains the following eight species:^[5]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Alcedo coerulescens	Cerulean kingfisher	Indonesia.
	Alcedo euryzona	Javan blue-banded kingfisher	Java
	Alcedo peninsulae	Malayan blue-banded kingfisher	Myanmar, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, southwestern Thailand and Borneo
	Alcedo quadribrachys	Shining-blue kingfisher	Senegal and Gambia to west central Nigeria to Kenya, northwest Zambia and north Angola
	Alcedo meninting	Blue-eared kingfisher	Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
	Alcedo atthis	Common kingfisher	across Eurasia and North Africa
	Alcedo semitorquata	Half-collared kingfisher	southern and eastern Africa.
	Alcedo hercules	Blyth's kingfisher	China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan in northeastern India, and a vagrant in Bangladesh and eastern Nepal

Unlike many kingfishers, all members of Alcedo are specialist fish-eaters. They all have some blue feathers on their upper-parts and most species have a black bill.^[6] Except for the cerulean kingfisher they all have some rufous in their plumage. The female generally has more red on the lower mandible than the male.^[7] The smallest species is the cerulean kingfisher which is around 13 cm (5.1 in) in length;^[8] much the largest is Blyth's kingfisher with a length of 22 cm (8.7 in).^[9]

References

1. Andersen, M.J.; McCullough, J.M.; Mauck III, W.M.; Smith, B.T.; Moyle, R.G. (2017). "A phylogeny of kingfishers reveals an Indomalayan origin and elevated rates of diversification on oceanic islands". Journal of Biogeography. 45 (2): 1–13. doi:10.1111/jbi.13139.
2. Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1 (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 115.
3. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 5. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 170.
4. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2016). "Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers". World Bird List Version 6.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
6. Moyle, R.G.; Fuchs, J.; Pasquet, E.; Marks, B.D. (2007). "Feeding behavior, toe count, and the phylogenetic relationships among alcedinine kingfishers (Alcedininae)". Journal of Avian Biology. 38 (3): 317–326. doi:10.1111/J.2007.0908-8857.03921.x.
7. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 210–224.
8. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 210–211.
9. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 223–224.

Sources

• Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7136-8028-7.

External links

• Media related to Alcedo at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Alcedo at Wikispecies