About Alcedo meninting Horsfield, 1821
Alcedo meninting Horsfield, 1821, commonly called the blue-eared kingfisher, is a 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long kingfisher. It is almost identical to the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), but can be distinguished by its blue ear coverts, darker and more intense cobalt-blue upperparts, and richer rufous underparts. Juvenile blue-eared kingfishers have rufous ear-coverts matching those of the common kingfisher, but usually show mottling on the throat and upper breast that disappears when the bird reaches adulthood. Young birds have a reddish bill with whitish tips. The range of this species stretches from India in the west, eastwards across Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and further into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Its usual habitat is pools or streams in dense evergreen forest, and sometimes mangroves, located below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in altitude. The blue-eared kingfisher is largely resident within its range. It usually perches on branches overhanging densely shaded streams before diving below to capture prey, which includes crustaceans, dragonfly larvae and fish. Other prey insects recorded include grasshoppers and mantids. In India, the main breeding season is May to June in northern India, and January in southwestern India. The nest is a 1-metre long tunnel dug into the bank of a forest stream, where about five to seven white, near-spherical eggs are laid.
