Yellow-billed Kingfisher

1. Bright yellow bill and orange head (black crown patch in females)

2. Olive green to greenish-blue back, blue tail, and white throat

3. Juveniles have a grey-black bill and more extensive black on the face

Yellow-billed Kingfishers hunt from low perches, swaying side to side before swooping down to catch prey, which includes large insects (beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, dragonflies), earthworms, lizards, and occasionally small snakes. They are known to dig in leaf litter and topsoil with their bills-an unusual behaviour for kingfishers. Breeding in Australia occurs from November to January, with nests typically excavated in arboreal termite mounds or occasionally tree hollows, 3–15 meters above ground. Clutches contain 3–4 glossy white eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick rearing.

In Australia, the Yellow-billed Kingfisher is found only in the rainforests of Cape York Peninsula, favouring primary and secondary rainforest, monsoon forest, and sometimes mangroves, typically below 500 meters elevation. They are most often seen in the forest understory, usually less than 8 meters above ground, and are sometimes spotted along roads or clearings at forest edges. The best time to observe them is at dawn or early morning when they are most vocal, giving a distinctive rolling, descending trill.