The
Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris is a common breeding resident
of Mangrove stands in the Red Sea coast from Amaq south to Sabya. Birds
probably occur further north and south but have not been proved there as of
yet. Recently I checked a number of good mangrove areas between Either, west of
Sabya, and Amaq, north of Al Birk, and found Kingfishers in all of them. This
is very encouraging as this is a habitat and range restricted species in Saudi
Arabia. Collared Kingfisher is a common breeding resident in southwest
Saudi Arabian Mangrove forests, but has a restricted range and a preference for
habitat that is under serious threat in the Kingdom. The subspecies occurring
in Saudi Arabia is currently recorded as T. c. abyssinicus that occurs
from the southern Red Sea coasts from north-east Sudan to north-west Somalia
and in to western Arabia. It is a medium-sized kingfisher with variable plumage
pattern with the male showing a white supraloral spot and a black mask
extending in a narrow band across hindneck, white collar, greenish-blue crown
and upperparts, brighter blue rump, blue wings and tail and white underparts.
The upper mandible is grey-black with the lower mandible yellowish-horn with
dark brown cutting edges and tip. The female has slightly duller plumage. The
birds have a loud, ringing or harsh “kee-kee-kee-kee” call, repeated 3–5 times
and can perch for long periods, with little activity, 1–3 metres above the
ground. They feed mainly on crustaceans such as crabs but also on small fish.
