Collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)

Collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a species of animal in the Alcedinidae, 23-25 cm long, males weighing 51-90 grams, females weighing 54-100 grams, living around streams in forests and agricultural land.

T. chloris varies in color from blue to green on the top, while the underside can be white or buff and a white collar around the neck. Some breeds have a white stripe or buff above the eyes, while others have a white spot between the eyes and the beak. There may be a black line through the eye.

The bill is large and black with a pale yellow base to the lower jaw. Females tend to be greener than males. Juveniles are duller in color than adults with dark scaly markings on the neck and chest.

They have a variety of vocations that vary geographically. The most common call is a loud, metallic "kee-kee-kee" which is repeated several times.

The river lion mainly feeds on small crabs and shrimp. They also eat beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths and butterflies, spiders, earthworms, snails, frogs, lizards, small snakes, small fish and sometimes birds and small rodents.

Often perches barely moving for long periods of time waiting for prey. When they see something, they slide down in an ambush and then fly back to their perch where larger objects are pounded into branches. The indigestible remains are regurgitated as pellets.

Nests are natural holes in trees or burrows that birds dig themselves in rotting trees, arboreal termite nests or soil edges. The female produces 2-5 whitish eggs which are laid directly on the floor of the burrow without the use of nesting material.

Both parents take part in incubating the eggs and feeding the babies. The young birds leave the nest about 44 days after hatching. Two broods often breed in a year.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus: Todiramphus
Species: Todiramphus chloris
Subspecies: Todiramphus chloris ssp. abyssinicus, Todiramphus chloris ssp. armstrongi, Todiramphus chloris ssp. azelus, Todiramphus chloris ssp. chloris, Todiramphus chloris ssp. chloropterus, Todiramphus chloris ssp. collaris, Todiramphus chloris ssp. davisoni, Todiramphus chloris ssp. humii, Todiramphus chloris ssp. kalbaensis, Todiramphus chloris ssp. laubmannianus, Todiramphus chloris ssp. occipitalis, Todiramphus chloris ssp. palmeri, Todiramphus chloris ssp. teraokai, Todiramphus chloris ssp. vidali

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