Sacred alcyone [1] , or sacred kingfisher [2] ( lat. Todiramphus sanctus ) is an Australian bird of the kingfisher family.
| Holy Alcyone |
|---|
 |
|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Pacific kingfishers |
|
|
Todiramphus sanctus Vigors & Horsfield , 1827 |
|
- Todirhamphus sanctus
- Halcyon sancta
|
|
Least ConcernedIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 22683442 |
|
Sacred alcyone reaches a length of 19-23 cm and a weight of 65 g. The plumage on the back, crown, wings and tail is turquoise, on the chest and on the stomach is white and cream on the back of the head. The bird has a wide dark strip in the eyes. Outside of the nesting period, the bird lives alone.
Sacred Alcyone lives in the mangrove and eucalyptus forests of Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania, New Zealand and New Caledonia. In southern winters, the species migrates a little north.
Sacred Alcyone preys mostly on land and occasionally in water. It feeds on reptiles, mainly lizards, large insects and their larvae, crustaceans and rarely fish. It also does not neglect small mammals and birds.
Sacred Alcyone nests mainly from September to December. If the conditions are good, it also happens before March. Usually nests twice a year. Both partners dig a nesting cave either in a termite mound , or in a hollow branch, or in a sandbank, hatch from 3 to 6 eggs and take care of the offspring. Chicks that are born after 18 days leave the nest after 26 days.
- ↑ Boehme R. L. , Flint V. E. The Bilingual Dictionary of Animal Names. Birds. Latin, Russian, English, German, French / Ed. ed. Acad. V. E. Sokolova . - M .: Rus. lang., "RUSSO", 1994. - S. 178. - 2030 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00643-0 .
- ↑ Galushin V.M., Drozdov N.N., Ilyichev V.D. et al. Fauna of the World: Birds: Handbook / Ed. V. D. Ilyichev. - M .: Agropromizdat, 1991 .-- S. 191. - 311 p. - ISBN 5-10-001229-3
- C. Hilary Fry, Kathie Fry: Kingfishers, Bee-Eaters, & Rollers . Princeton, New Jersey 1992, 1999, ISBN 0-691-04879-7
