Guadalcanal dwarf kingfisher

The Guadalcanal dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx nigromaxilla), is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to Guadalcanal Island. Its natural habitat is sub-tropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Guadalcanal dwarf kingfisher
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Subfamily: Alcedininae
Genus: Ceyx
Species:
C. nigromaxilla
Binomial name
Ceyx nigromaxilla

This species was formerly considered one of the 15 recognised subspecies of what was then known as the variable dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx lepidus or Alcedo lepidus).[2] A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2013 found that most of the insular subspecies had substantially diverged from one another.[3] The variable dwarf kingfisher was therefore split and 12 of the subspecies, including the Guadalcanal dwarf kingfisher, were promoted to species status. At the same time the name of the variable dwarf kingfisher was changed to the Moluccan dwarf kingfisher.[4]

In 2023 the Malaita dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx malaitae) was made a subspecies of the Guadalcanal dwarf kingfisher.

References edit

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Ceyx nigromaxilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22726649A94928473. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22726649A94928473.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). "Variable Dwarf Kingfisher". Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 202–204. ISBN 978-0-7136-8028-7.
  3. ^ Andersen, M.J.; Oliveros, C.H.; Filardi, C.E.; Moyle, R.G. (2013). "Phylogeography of the Variable Dwarf-Kingfisher Ceyx lepidus (Aves: Alcedinidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences" (PDF). Auk. 130 (1): 118–131. doi:10.1525/auk.2012.12102. hdl:1808/13331. S2CID 55352878.
  4. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers". World Bird List Version 7.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 17 May 2017.