Ruddy Kingfisher

Halcyon coromanda (Latham, 1790)

25 cmLength78 gWeight

It is a rusty-red kingfisher with a bright red bill and bright red legs and feet, often heard before it is seen.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: India, Malaysia, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Bill very large and bright red
Legs and feet also bright red
Body rusty-red, becoming purple toward tail
Body length about 25 cm

Male, female and young

Sexes almost identical; some reports describe male plumage as slightly brighter.

Voice

A high-pitched, descending call; often heard before it is seen.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: India, Malaysia, Thailand

Ruddy Kingfisher has been recorded at 200 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

KalatangIndia321 records
Tangkoko Batuangus NR – Forest andIndonesia274 records
Ao Phang-nga NP – headquarters vicinityThailand196 records

More places

BidadariSingapore181 records
Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia178 records
Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia164 records
Yeliu IBATaiwan (China)112 records
Kinabatangan River – SukauMalaysia88 records
Amami – Tatsugo – Amami Nature ForestJapan80 records
Man Nai IslandThailand76 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India Malaysia Thailand Singapore Indonesia Philippines China Japan

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 ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) is a medium-sized tree kingfisher, widely distributed in east and southeast Asia.

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

Questions

How big is the Ruddy Kingfisher?

The Ruddy Kingfisher is about 25 cm long and weighs around 78 g.

Where does the Ruddy Kingfisher live?

Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia: widespread, also East Asia. It is most often recorded in India, Malaysia and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Ruddy Kingfisher?

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

Is the Ruddy Kingfisher endangered?

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

What does the Ruddy Kingfisher eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Ruddy Kingfisher in?

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

At a glance

Length: 25 cm
Weight: 78 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 114 mm
Tail: 66 mm
Bill: 60 mm
Tarsus: 17 mm

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

Range

Oriental, Australasia: widespread, also East Asia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 3

Halcyon coromanda coromanda Nepal to s China, s Thailand and n Myanmar | non-breeding: to Sumatra and Java
Halcyon coromanda major ne China, Korean Pen. and Japan | non-breeding: to Philippines, Borneo and Talaud Is. (ne of Sulawesi)
Halcyon coromanda bangsi Ryukyu Is., Taiwan (China) and Lanyu I. | non-breeding: to Philippines, Sulawesi and Talaud Is. (ne of Sulawesi)