Photo: Ariefrahman / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-backed Kingfisher
Actenoides monachus
Green-backed Kingfisher (Actenoides monachus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green-backed Kingfisher (Actenoides monachus) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 150 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
- Genus Actenoides
- Species monachus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 150 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green-backed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green-backed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-backed Kingfisher (Actenoides monachus) is a member of the Alcedinidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Sulawesi.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 150 g, with a wing length of about 14.3 cm and a tail of around 11.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 72,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-backed Kingfisher?
The Green-backed Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 150 g.
Where does the Green-backed Kingfisher live?
The Green-backed Kingfisher is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Sulawesi, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Green-backed Kingfisher belong to?
The Green-backed Kingfisher (Actenoides monachus) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Green-backed Kingfisher eat?
The Green-backed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Green-backed Kingfisher migrate?
The Green-backed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-backed Kingfisher endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Green-backed Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Green-backed Kingfisher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-backed Kingfisher's range?
The Green-backed Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 72,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Alcedinidae
Near Threatened
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Kingfishers & Rollers
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern