Photo: Keulemans and Bowdler Sharpe / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Great-billed Kingfisher
Pelargopsis melanorhyncha
Great-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) — 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 Great-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 193 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
- Genus Pelargopsis
- Species melanorhyncha
Quick facts
- Weight
- 193 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great-billed Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great-billed Kingfisher is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Great-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) is a member of the Alcedinidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Sulawesi.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 193 g, with a wing length of about 14.8 cm and a tail of around 9.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 168,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great-billed Kingfisher?
The Great-billed Kingfisher is a large bird that weighs around 193 g.
Where does the Great-billed Kingfisher live?
The Great-billed Kingfisher is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Sulawesi, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Great-billed Kingfisher belong to?
The Great-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Great-billed Kingfisher eat?
The Great-billed Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Great-billed Kingfisher migrate?
The Great-billed Kingfisher is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Great-billed Kingfisher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great-billed Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Great-billed 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 Great-billed Kingfisher's range?
The Great-billed Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 168,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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