Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Hook-billed Kingfisher
Melidora macrorrhina
Hook-billed Kingfisher (Melidora macrorrhina) — 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 Hook-billed Kingfisher (Melidora macrorrhina) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 97 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 Melidora
- Species macrorrhina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 97 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Hook-billed 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 Hook-billed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Hook-billed Kingfisher (Melidora macrorrhina) is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 97 g, with a wing length of about 11.8 cm and a tail of around 8.7 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 655,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Hook-billed Kingfisher?
The Hook-billed Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 97 g.
Where does the Hook-billed Kingfisher live?
The Hook-billed Kingfisher is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Hook-billed Kingfisher belong to?
The Hook-billed Kingfisher (Melidora macrorrhina) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Hook-billed Kingfisher eat?
The Hook-billed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Hook-billed Kingfisher migrate?
The Hook-billed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Hook-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 Hook-billed Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Hook-billed Kingfisher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Hook-billed Kingfisher's range?
The Hook-billed Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 655,000 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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