ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLERS AND THEIR ALLIES
THE KINGFISHERS
Three-toed Kingfishers
Among the short-tailed forms the little Three-toed Kingfishers (Ceyx) of the Indian and Malayan regions are certainly worthy of mention. Of the twenty-two species now recognized the Indian Three-toed Kingfisher (C. tridactyla) is perhaps best known, being a bird five and a half inches in length, with the general color above black, washed with purplish blue or deep ultramarine on the mantle; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts red, washed with beautiful lilac; the wing-coverts black edged with blue; the tail-feathers cinnamon-rufous; the head rufous marked with lilac; cheeks and ear-coverts orange-yellow, as are the under parts; bill and feet bright vermilion-red.
This little feathered gem, according to Mr. Blanford, is a forest bird, usually found singly or in pairs by hill streams, but sometimes away from water. It feeds to a large extent upon small fish and probably aquatic insects, and has a shrill, piping note. It nests in holes in sandy banks, often at a distance from water, and lays from four to six or seven very small eggs.
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