Collared Kingfisher

1. Distinctive white collar and greenish-blue upperparts

2. Black mask through the eye, sometimes extending across the hindneck

3. Large, two-toned bill (black above, pale below), with females greener and juveniles duller

Collared Kingfishers are patient, perch-and-wait predators, feeding mainly on small crabs and shrimps in coastal areas, but also taking insects, spiders, earthworms, snails, frogs, lizards, small snakes, fish, and occasionally small birds and mice. They swoop down from their perch to capture prey, often returning to the perch to subdue larger items by pounding them against the branch. They are highly territorial and usually solitary outside the breeding season.

Breeding in Australia occurs from September to February, often with two broods per season. Nests are excavated in tree hollows, arboreal termite mounds, or earth banks, typically 1.4–5.7 meters above ground. Both parents participate in nest excavation, incubation, and feeding the young. Clutches usually contain 2–5 eggs, and fledging occurs about 44 days after hatching.

In Australia, Collared Kingfishers are mostly restricted to coastal mangrove forests, tidal flats, and estuaries from Shark Bay in Western Australia to the Tweed River in northern New South Wales, with rare records further south. They may occasionally venture inland along mangrove-lined rivers. These birds are often seen perched conspicuously on exposed branches or wires, typically 1–3 meters above ground or water, scanning for prey.