Kofiau paradise kingfisher | |
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Tanysiptera ellioti by John Gerrard Keulemans | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Coraciiformes |
Family: | Alcedinidae |
Subfamily: | Halcyoninae |
Genus: | Tanysiptera |
Species: | T. ellioti |
Binomial name | |
Tanysiptera ellioti Sharpe, 1870 |
The Kofiau paradise kingfisher (Tanysiptera ellioti) is a tree kingfisher endemic to the Indonesian island Kofiau. This little-known bird is sometimes considered a subspecies of the common paradise kingfisher (T. galatea), but it is morphologically distinct and del Hoyo lists it as a separate species.
The Kofiau paradise kingfisher is about 34 cm (13.4 in) long including its elongated tail feathers. The head and upper parts of both male and female are dark blue and the rump, tail and underparts are white. The central tail feathers are long and tapering.