Alcedinidae

White to buff horizontal wedge before eye and a more or less dark band through eye to nape above a white to buff rear-collar. Male: shoulders blue, rump bright-blue, tail bright deep-blue; collar and underparts white. Female: usually larger, duller and greener; tail dull dark-green; collar and underparts white. Immature: sexes respectively like adults, with buffish margins to feathers of upperparts, underparts deep to pale-buff or nearly white depending on age.

Diurnal, Migatory, many spending March-Oct on islands from Timor to the Solomons Usually solitary, pairing for breeding,

Woodland Forest, Australia generally; widespread in tall; open eucalypt forest and woodland; paperbark forest; mangroves.

Usually seen in pairs except after the breeding season when the occur as a family group.

October November December January, 4 to 5; white. Eggs are incubated by both sexes for about 16 days. Young fly after 16 days

Kakadu National Park

Carnivore, Insects and small reptiles; fish and crabs.