Cerulean kingfisher
The cerulean kingfisher ("Alcedo coerulescens") is a kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae which is found in parts of Indonesia. With an overall metallic blue impression, it is very similar to the common kingfisher, but it is white underneath instead of orange. Males average bluer than females, which have a greenish cast. This species is sometimes called the small blue kingfisher but in Indonesia and parts of Asia that name refers to "Alcedo atthis" (common kingfisher). Taxonomy. The first formal description of the cerulean kingfisher was by the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot in 1818. He coined the  binomial name "Alcedo coerulescens". The specific epithet "coerulescens" is from the Latin "caerulescens" meaning "bluish". The species is monotypic. Description. The cerulean kingfisher is a small kingfisher with a length of . The upperparts are a range of shades of blue with white lores and a prominent white patch on each side of the neck. The underparts are white with an azure-blue breast-band. The bill is blacking and the legs are dark brown. The female has duller and slightly greenish plumage and a narrower breast band. Distribution and habitat. The cerulean kingfisher is native to Sumatra, Java, the Kangean  Islands, Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa, all in Indonesia. It is a resident species that inhabits low-lying areas near streams, canals, flooded paddy-fields and tidal estuaries.