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Alcedinidae
4-565.51.00English: Kingfishers.
Clades: Coraciiformes; Afroaves; Aves; Animals.
Genera: 19; 114 species.
Region: cosmopolitan, mostly tropical Africa, Asia, Oceania.
Habitat: forests, near rivers.IntroductionAlcedinidae are small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds. They have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
They consume a wide range of prey usually caught by swooping down from a perch. They eat fish, but also small invertebrates.
They nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. Some kingfishers nest in arboreal termite nests.GeneraSubfamilies: Alcedininae, Cerylinae, Halcyoninae.
Alcedininae: River kingfishers, Pygmy kingfishers; Alcedo, Ceyx, Corythornis, Ispidina.
Cerylinae: Water kingfishers, Cerylid; Ceryle, Chloroceryle, Megaceryle.
Halcyoninae: Tree kingfishers; Actenoides, Caridonax, Cittura, Clytoceyx, Halcyon, Lacedo, Melidora, Pelargopsis, Tanysiptera, Dacelo, Syma, Todirhamphus.
Clades: Coraciiformes; Afroaves; Aves; Animals.
Genera: 19; 114 species.
Region: cosmopolitan, mostly tropical Africa, Asia, Oceania.
Habitat: forests, near rivers.IntroductionAlcedinidae are small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds. They have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
They consume a wide range of prey usually caught by swooping down from a perch. They eat fish, but also small invertebrates.
They nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. Some kingfishers nest in arboreal termite nests.GeneraSubfamilies: Alcedininae, Cerylinae, Halcyoninae.
Alcedininae: River kingfishers, Pygmy kingfishers; Alcedo, Ceyx, Corythornis, Ispidina.
Cerylinae: Water kingfishers, Cerylid; Ceryle, Chloroceryle, Megaceryle.
Halcyoninae: Tree kingfishers; Actenoides, Caridonax, Cittura, Clytoceyx, Halcyon, Lacedo, Melidora, Pelargopsis, Tanysiptera, Dacelo, Syma, Todirhamphus.