Blyth's Kingfisher (Alcedo hercules)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Blyth's Kingfisher

Alcedo hercules Laubmann, 1917

22–23 cmLength62 gWeight

It has a blue back, a rufous breast and belly, and a single blackish-blue patch on the breast.

Busiest months: March · Most records: China, Laos, Vietnam

Looks like Blue-eared Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Breast and belly rufous, with a blackish-blue breast patch
  2. Back bright cobalt-blue, tinged purple near rump
  3. Area in front of eye black, with a pale yellow stripe above
  4. Male: head black, with bright blue feather tips

Male, female and young

Male has an all-black bill; female has red at the base of the lower mandible.

Voice

Gives a loud, harsh “pseet”.

Similar species

Blue-eared Kingfisher
Blue-eared Kingfisher

Blyth's Kingfisher is markedly larger, with a thicker, longer bill.

Common Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher

Blyth's Kingfisher has dark ear-coverts; Common Kingfisher has rufous ear-coverts.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: China, Laos, Vietnam

Blyth's Kingfisher has been recorded at 14 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nam Et - Phou Louey NPA – Nam Nern Night SafariLaos26 records
  2. GeshuikouChina14 records
  3. Chebaling NNRChina13 records
More places
  1. Jiulian Mountain NNRChina11 records
  2. Bidoup Nui Ba NP—Yang LyVietnam9 records
  3. Zhongxi VillageChina6 records
  4. DangzhouChina5 records
  5. Tashi Gasel Lodge to Samdrup Jongkhar checkpointBhutan4 records
  6. Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia4 records
  7. Jiangle Longqi Mountain NNRChina3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaLaosVietnamIndiaBhutanThailandMyanmar (Burma)

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

Blyth's kingfisher (Alcedo hercules) is the largest kingfisher in the genus Alcedo. Named for Edward Blyth, the species has also been known as Alcedo grandis and as the great blue kingfisher. Between 22 and 23 cm (8+5⁄8 and 9 in) long, the kingfisher has deep rufous underparts with a blackish blue breast patch, and brilliant cobalt blue or azure upperparts, tinged with purple.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Blyth's Kingfisher?

The Blyth's Kingfisher is about 22–23 cm long and weighs around 62 g.

Where does the Blyth's Kingfisher live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: eastern Nepal to central Vietnam. It is most often recorded in China, Laos and Vietnam.

When is the best time to see the Blyth's Kingfisher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Blyth's Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Blyth's Kingfisher as Near Threatened.

What does the Blyth's Kingfisher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Blyth's Kingfisher in?

It belongs to the family Kingfishers (Alcedinidae), order Coraciiformes.

At a glance

Length
22–23 cm
Weight
62 g
Habitat
Rivers & streams
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
96 mm
Tail
45 mm
Bill
56 mm
Tarsus
12 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: eastern Nepal to central Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
Genus
Alcedo

Other birds in the genus Alcedo

Cerulean KingfisherCerulean KingfisherAlcedo coerulescensMalaysian Blue-banded KingfisherMalaysian Blue-banded KingfisherAlcedo peninsulaeJavan Blue-banded KingfisherJavan Blue-banded KingfisherAlcedo euryzonaShining-blue KingfisherShining-blue KingfisherAlcedo quadribrachysBlue-eared KingfisherBlue-eared KingfisherAlcedo menintingCommon KingfisherCommon KingfisherAlcedo atthisHalf-collared KingfisherHalf-collared KingfisherAlcedo semitorquataGreen-backed KingfisherGreen-backed KingfisherActenoides monachusScaly-breasted KingfisherScaly-breasted KingfisherActenoides princepsMoustached KingfisherMoustached KingfisherActenoides bougainvillei
Blyth's Kingfisher

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