Mewing kingfisher
The mewing kingfisher or Mangaia kingfisher (Todiramphus ruficollaris), known locally as the tanga‘eo, is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae, or kingfisher family. It is endemic to Mangaia in the Cook Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations.
| Mewing kingfisher | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Alcedinidae |
| Subfamily: | Halcyoninae |
| Genus: | Todiramphus |
| Species: | T. ruficollaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Todiramphus ruficollaris (Holyoak, 1974) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Todirhamphus ruficollaris (Holyoak, 1974) [orth. error] | |
Description
The mewing kingfisher is 22 cm in length, with a large head and large black bill. Similar to some other Todiramphus kingfishers, it has blue-green upper-parts, with a yellow-orange collar and head-band, and a blue-green cap. The under-parts are white.
Conservation
It is threatened by habitat loss and by disturbance by introduced common mynas at its nesting hollows. The Taporoporo'anga Ipukarea Society, BirdLife International's partner organisation in the Cook Islands, has proposed a program to eradicate the mynas from Mangaia.
References
- BirdLife International (2022). "Todiramphus ruficollaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22683465A209393532. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- Cook Islands Biodiversity: Mangaia Kingfisher. Accessed 13 May 2009.
