Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Halcyon smyrnensis and H. gularis (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) were previously lumped as H. smyrnensis following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2014 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Not Recognised | |
| 2008 | Not Recognised | |
| 2004 | Not Recognised | |
| 2000 | Not Recognised | |
| 1994 | Not Recognised | |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | 91 g |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 24,700,000 km2 | |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | - | - | - |
| Population trend | increasing | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 3.8 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, though in Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 170-260 pairs, which equates to 340-520 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015), with Europe forming <5% of the global range.
Trend justification: The species is suspected to be increasing owing to its ability to colonise gardens and palm oil plantations. Its range has expanded into Sumatra but it appears to be absent from Singapore where it previously occurred (del Hoyo et al. 2001). In Europe the population size is estimated to be decreasing by at least 10% in 11.4 years (three generations) (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bhutan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bulgaria | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cambodia | extant | native | yes | |||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cyprus | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Egypt | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greece | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | extant | native | yes | |||
| India | extant | native | yes | |||
| Indonesia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | |||
| Laos | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Macao (China) | extant | native | ||||
| Malaysia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Myanmar | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nepal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Pakistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Qatar | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Singapore | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Taiwan, China | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Thailand | extant | native | yes | |||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Vietnam | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| Türkiye | Amanos Mountains |
| Türkiye | Antalya Plains |
| Türkiye | Göksu Delta |
| Türkiye | Seyhan Delta |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Swamp | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 2000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits | (max) 5000 m |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-throated-kingfisher-halcyon-smyrnensis on 19/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 19/12/2024.