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Todiramphus
Sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Alcedinidae
Subfamily:	Halcyoninae
Genus:	Todiramphus Lesson, 1827
Type species
Todiramphus sacra Lesson, 1827
Species
see list

Todiramphus is a genus of kingfishers in the subfamily Halcyoninae that are endemic to the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and many islands in the South Pacific.

Taxonomy

The genus was introduced by the French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1827. The name is often spelt Todirhamphus (with rh), but Todiramphus is the original valid spelling. The name literally means "tody-bill"; tody is a relative of the kingfishers with a similar slender long bill, and the Greek rhamphos (ῥάµϕος) means "beak" or "bill".

In 1945 James Peters in his Check-list of Birds of the World placed these species in an enlarged genus Halcyon. Hilary Fry did the same in his 1992 monograph on kingfishers, but in 2001 Peter Woodall in the Handbook of the Birds of the World chose to place these Pacific flat-billed species in the resurrected genus Todiramphus. This decision was vindicated by a molecular study published in 2006 that found that the enlarged Halcyon was not monophyletic.

There are now around 30 extant species in the genus but the genus formerly contained fewer species. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2015 found that some of the polytypic species were paraphyletic. To create monophyletic groups, some of the subspecies were promoted to species status. The most extreme case was that of the collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) that was split into six species: the Pacific kingfisher, the Islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the collared kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher and the Melanesian kingfisher.

The range of the genus extends from the Philippines in the west to French Polynesia in the east, with the greatest diversity in Australasia.

Description

Members of Todiramphus are medium-sized kingfishers with flattened beaks. They are typically blue or blue-green above with pale underparts. They often have a pale collar and stripe over the eye. Many species are commonly found well away from water and feed largely on terrestrial animals such as insects and lizards. The nest is built in a cavity, most often in a tree.

Species

The genus contains 30 species:

• Blue-black kingfisher, Todiramphus nigrocyaneus
• Rufous-lored kingfisher or Winchell's kingfisher, Todiramphus winchelli
• Blue-and-white kingfisher, Todiramphus diops
• Lazuli kingfisher, Todiramphus lazuli
• Forest kingfisher, Todiramphus macleayii
• White-mantled kingfisher, Todiramphus albonotatus
• Ultramarine kingfisher, Todiramphus leucopygius
• Vanuatu kingfisher, Todiramphus farquhari
• Sombre kingfisher, Todiramphus funebris
• Collared kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris
• Torresian kingfisher, Todiramphus sordidus – split from T. chloris
• Islet kingfisher, Todiramphus colonus – split from T. chloris
• Mariana kingfisher, Todiramphus albicilla – split from T. chloris
• Melanesian kingfisher, Todiramphus tristrami – split from T. chloris
• Pacific kingfisher, Todiramphus sacer – split from T. chloris
• Talaud kingfisher, Todiramphus enigma
• Guam kingfisher, Todiramphus cinnamominus – extinct in the wild
• Rusty-capped kingfisher, Todiramphus pelewensis – split from T. cinnamominus
• Pohnpei kingfisher, Todiramphus reichenbachii – split from T. cinnamominus
• Beach kingfisher, Todiramphus saurophagus
• Sacred kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus
• Flat-billed kingfisher, Todiramphus recurvirostris – split from T. sanctus
• Cinnamon-banded kingfisher, Todiramphus australasia
• Chattering kingfisher, Todiramphus tutus
• Mewing kingfisher, Todiramphus ruficollaris – split from T. tutus
• Society kingfisher, Todiramphus veneratus
• Mangareva kingfisher, Todiramphus gambieri
• Niau kingfisher, Todiramphus gertrudae – split from T. gambieri
• Marquesan kingfisher, Todiramphus godeffroyi
• Red-backed kingfisher, Todiramphus pyrrhopygius

References

1. "Alcedinidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
2. Lesson, René (1827). "Description d'un nouveau genre d'oiseau. Todirhamphe, Todiramphus". Bulletin des sciences naturelles et de géologie (in French). 12: 268–271 .
3. Gray, Jeannie; Fraser, Ian (2013). Australian Bird Names: A Complete Guide. Csiro Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-643-10471-6.
4. "rhamphoid". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
5. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 193.
6. Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7136-8028-7.
7. Moyle, Robert G (2006). "A molecular phylogeny of kingfishers (Alcedinidae) with insights into early biogeographic history". Auk. 123 (2): 487–499. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[487:AMPOKA]2.0.CO;2. hdl:1808/16596. S2CID 84824051.
8. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (August 2022). "Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers". World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
9. Andersen, M.J.; Shult, H.T.; Cibois, A.; Thibault, J.C.; Filardi, C.E.; Moyle, R.G. (2015). "Rapid diversification and secondary sympatry in Australo-Pacific kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae: Todiramphus)". Royal Society Open Science. 2 (140375). Bibcode:2015RSOS....240375A. doi:10.1098/rsos.140375. PMC 4448819. PMID 26064600.

• Pratt, H. Douglas; Bruner, Philip L.; Berrett, Delwyn G. (1987). A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-08402-5.

v t e Genera of trogons, hornbills, kingfishers, woodpeckers and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Infraclass: Neognathae Clade: Coraciimorphae Clade: Cavitaves
Cavitaves Leptosomiformes Leptosomidae Leptosomus †Plesiocathartes? †Waltonavis Eucavitaves Trogoniformes Trogonidae Apalharpactes Apaloderma †Eotrogon Euptilotis †Foshanornis Harpactes †Masillatrogon †Paratrogon Pharomachrus †Primotrogon Priotelus †Septentrogon Trogon Picocoraciae Bucerotiformes See below ↓ Picodynastornithes Coraciiformes See below ↓ Piciformes See below ↓
Bucerotiformes Bucerotiformes †Laurillardiidae Laurillardia †Messelirrisoridae Messelirrisor Upupi Phoeniculidae †Phirriculus Phoeniculus Rhinopomastus Upupidae Upupa Buceroti Bucorvidae Bucorvus †Euroceros Bucerotidae Aceros Anorrhinus Anthracoceros Berenicornis Buceros Bycanistes Ceratogymna Horizocerus Lophoceros Ocyceros Penelopides Rhabdotorrhinus Rhinoplax Rhyticeros Tockus
Coraciiformes incertae sedis †Cryptornis †Paracoracias †Quasisyndactylus †Eocoraciidae Eocoracias †Geranopteridae Geranopterus †Primobucconidae Primobucco Septencoracias Brachypteraciidae Atelornis Brachypteracias Geobiastes Uratelornis Coraciidae †Chehuenia Coracias Eurystomus †Miocoracias Meropidae Meropogon Merops Nyctyornis Alcedines Alcedinidae Alcedininae Alcedo Ceyx Corythornis Ispidina Cerylinae Ceryle Chloroceryle Megaceryle Halcyoninae Actenoides Caridonax Cittura Clytoceyx Dacelo Halcyon Lacedo Melidora Pelargopsis Syma Tanysiptera Todiramphus Momotidae Aspatha Baryphthengus Electron Eumomota Hylomanes Momotus †Protornis? Todidae †Palaeotodus Todus
Piciformes incertae sedis †"Homalopus" †Pristineanis †Gracilitarsidae Gracilitarsus Neanis †Sylphornithidae Oligosylphe Palaegithalus? Sylphornis Galbuli †Jacamatia Bucconidae Bucco Chelidoptera Hapaloptila Hypnelus Malacoptila Micromonacha Monasa Nonnula Notharchus Nystalus Galbulidae Brachygalba Galbalcyrhynchus Galbula Jacamaralcyon Jacamerops Pici incertae sedis †Rupelramphastoides †Miopiconidae Miopico †Picavidae Picavus Ramphastides Capitonidae Capito †Capitonides Eubucco Lybiidae Buccanodon Cryptolybia Gymnobucco Lybius Pogoniulus Pogonornis Stactolaema Trachyphonus Tricholaema Megalaimidae Caloramphus Psilopogon Ramphastidae Andigena Aulacorhynchus Pteroglossus Ramphastos Selenidera Semnornithidae Semnornis Picides Indicatoridae Indicator Melichneutes Melignomon Prodotiscus Picidae See below ↓
Picidae incertae sedis †Bitumenpicus †Breacopus †Palaeonerpes †Palaeopicus †Piculoides Jynginae Jynx Picumninae Picumnus Sasiinae Sasia Verreauxia Picinae †Australopicus †Palaeonerpes †Pliopicus Nesoctitini Nesoctites Hemicircini Hemicircus Picini Campethera Celeus Chrysophlegma Colaptes Dinopium Dryocopus Gecinulus Geocolaptes Micropternus Meiglyptes Mulleripicus Pardipicus Piculus Picus Campephilini Blythipicus Campephilus Chrysocolaptes Reinwardtipicus Melanerpini Chloropicus Dendrocopos Dendrocoptes Dendropicos Dryobates Leiopicus Leuconotopicus Melanerpes Picoides Sphyrapicus Veniliornis Xiphidiopicus Yungipicus

• Todiramphus
• Taxa named by René Lesson