A
P E LARGOP S I S AMAUROPTER A .
(BROW N-SHO ULD ERED STO RK -B IL L ED K IN G F ISH EK ).
Halcyon amauroptera
Ramplialcyon amauroptera
Pelargopsis amauroptera .
P. rostro rubro : soapularibu;
Pears. Joum. As. Soc. Beng. 1841, p. 635.
Eeich. Handb. Alced. p. 17, t. cccelxxsi., fig. 3407 (1851).
Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 157 (1860).
Hab. in regione Indo-Malayan^.
E n tire head, neck, and under-surface of th e body yellowish cinnamon; u pper p a rt o f
the back, scapularies, and wing-coverts, chocolate-bro^TO; entire back and rump silvery-
cobalt ; quills chocolate-brown, th e in n er web lig h t cinnamon a t the b a s e ; tail-coverts and
tail chocolate-brown, darker u n d e rn e a th ; bill and feet sealing-wax red. Total len g th 13.0
inches, of b ill from fro n t 3.0, from gape 3.5, wing 5.8, ta il 4.0, tarsu s 0.5, middle toe 1.0,
h in d toe 0.5.
Hab. Beno-al (S u n d u rb u n s especially); Arak an ; Tenasserim p rovinces; very abu n d an t
along the eastern coast o f the Bay o f Bengal, n o t y e t observed on th e western. No t rare
in the vicinity o f Calcutta (Blyth), Assam (mus. l i . B . Tristram).
This abnormally-coloured Pelargopsis is one o f the most clearly characterized o f a ll th e
species o f Stork-billed Kingfishers, and cannot be confounded w ith any otiier inemher of the
family. Notwithstanding th a t th e bird is n o t rare in th e localities w hich i t affects, there
a re very few collections in Europe which possess specimens. L ittle is known o f its h abits
b u t th ey are doubtless similar to the o th er species o f Pelargopisis.
Mr. J e rd o n gives u s th e foUowing observations iu the “ Birds o f In d ia ” :—
“ This is a handsomely coloured species, the beautiful pale sky-blue contrasting so
effectively with the brown and sober tin ts o f th e r e s t o f the plumage. I t is only found
with in our limits, in Bengal, being n o t rare about Calcutta, th o u g h more common in th e
Sunderbuns, where I have frequently seen i t ; and i t is more abu n d an t still to th e East, in
A rrak an and Tenasserin. I t does n o t appear to ascend rivers, in Bengal, far beyond the
reach o f th e tide. I t is a noisy species, and has a v ery loud, harsh, and g ratin g cry. I t
feeds chiefly on fishes, making a violent plunge into th e water.”
Add iS.— Halcyon
i. Soc.
itera, Blyth, Ann. Nat. Hist,
n. 79 fl8 4 6 ): Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. ------ -v-g., p. 313 v(1—849/).; —Bona.p.
Cat. Hale. Phil. Mas. p. 10 (1852); Horsf. and Moore, Cat. B. Mus.E. I. Co. I, p. 124 (Ibo^;; oeru
Ind'. I, p. 224 (1862); Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 347. Bamphdlcyon amauroptera, Bonap. Consp. Vol. i
(1854/ Pelargopsis amauroptera, Sharpe, P.Z.S., 1870, p.
i., p. 10
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