Mountain Kingfisher (Syma megarhyncha)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mountain Kingfisher

Syma megarhyncha Salvadori, 1896

21–24 cmLength56 gWeight

The mountain kingfisher (Syma megarhyncha) is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae in the family Alcedinidae.

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Papua New Guinea

Mountain Kingfisher has been recorded at 12 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Rondon Ridge LodgePapua New Guinea116 records
  2. Ambua LodgePapua New Guinea96 records
  3. Rondon RidgePapua New Guinea95 records
More places
  1. Tonga TrailPapua New Guinea81 records
  2. Highlands Hwy – above Ambua Lodge to Tari GapPapua New Guinea33 records
  3. Tari GapPapua New Guinea15 records
  4. Kumul LodgePapua New Guinea11 records
  5. Dablin Creek RoadPapua New Guinea7 records
  6. Mt Komonge RidgePapua New Guinea4 records
  7. Varirata National ParkPapua New Guinea3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Papua New Guinea

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

The mountain kingfisher (Syma megarhyncha) is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae in the family Alcedinidae.

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

Questions

How big is the Mountain Kingfisher?

The Mountain Kingfisher is about 21–24 cm long and weighs around 56 g.

Where does the Mountain Kingfisher live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: montane west-central to northeastern (Huon Peninsula) and southeastern New Guinea. It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea.

When is the best time to see the Mountain Kingfisher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and August (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Mountain Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mountain Kingfisher as Least Concern.

What does the Mountain Kingfisher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Mountain Kingfisher in?

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

At a glance

Length
21–24 cm
Weight
56 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
85 mm
Tail
66 mm
Bill
47 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

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

Range

Australasia: montane west-central to northeastern (Huon Peninsula) and southeastern New Guinea

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
Genus
Syma

Other birds in the genus Syma

Yellow-billed KingfisherYellow-billed KingfisherSyma torotoroGreen-backed KingfisherGreen-backed KingfisherActenoides monachusScaly-breasted KingfisherScaly-breasted KingfisherActenoides princepsMoustached KingfisherMoustached KingfisherActenoides bougainvilleiSpotted Wood KingfisherSpotted Wood KingfisherActenoides lindsayiBlue-capped KingfisherBlue-capped KingfisherActenoides hombroniRufous-collared KingfisherRufous-collared KingfisherActenoides concretusHook-billed KingfisherHook-billed KingfisherMelidora macrorrhinaBanded KingfisherBanded KingfisherLacedo pulchellaCommon Paradise KingfisherCommon Paradise KingfisherTanysiptera galatea
Mountain Kingfisher

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nik Borrow. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages