White-throated Kingfisher

Latin Name: 
Halcyon smyrnensis
Category: 
Size: 
28cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. Chestnut-brown head, neck and underbody below breast; bright turquoise-blue above, often with greenish tinge; black flight feathers and white wing-patch in flight; white chin, throat and breast distinctive; coral-red beak and legs. Solitary or scattered pairs atop overhead wires, poles and tree-tops;
frequently found far from water; drops on to ground to pick up prey.

Habitat: 
forest, cultivation, lakes, riversides; also coastal mangroves and estuaries.
Food: 
insects, frogs, lizards, small rodents; only occasionally fish.
Distribution: 
subcontinent, south of outer Himalaya.
Call: 
Call Description: 
noisy; loud, crackling laugh, often audible over crowded urban areas; song a longish, quivering whistle, sounding as kililililili… characteristic feature of hot season, when bird is breeding; fascinating courtship display.
National Status: