﻿PELARGOPSIS GURIAL. 



(INDIAN STORK-BILLED KINGFISHER.) 



Pears. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1841, p. 633 (descr. orig.) ; Blyth, Cat. Birds 

 Mus. As. Soe. Beng. p. 47 (1849) ; Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. I, p. 

 155 (1850) ; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 228 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1865, p. 30. 

 Keich. Handb. Alced. p. 16, t. ccccxxvi (1851). 



Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. th. II, p. 156 (1860) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 66. 

 Jerd. Madr. Journ. 1840, p. 231 ; Blyth, Ann. Nat. Hist. XII. p. 94 (1843). 

 Jerd. Madr. Journ. 1844, p. 143. 



(part.) Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co. p. 123 (1854). 

 Jerdon, Birds of India, L p. 222 (1862); Day, Land of Perm. p. 460 

 (1863); Beav. Ibis, 1865, p. 407 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 347. 

 Gurial of the Bengalese (Pearson). 

 Mala-poyma of the natives of Malabar (J erdon). 



P. rostro rubro ; scapularibus viridi-cyaneis ; capite distincte pileato, saturate brunneo, haud cyaneo lavato. 

 Hob. in sub-regione Indica. 



Head dark chocolate-brown ; sides of the neck and a collar encircling the same pale 

 ochre ; upper portion of the back and scapularies dull green, rest of the back rich greenish 

 cobalt; wing-coverts dull green with a faint blue lustre; quills black, the inner web yellowish 

 white at the base, the outer edge of the whole of the feathers greenish blue ; tail greenish 

 blue above, black beneath ; under surface of the body ochre, palest on the throat ; bill very 

 dark sealing-wax red ; feet dull red. Total length 14 mches, of bill from front 3*1, from 

 gape 3"7, wing 6"4, tail 3'6, tarsus 0*5, middle toe 1*1, hind toe 0*5. 



Hah. All India, from the extreme south to Bengal and Ceylon ; common in Malabar ; 

 rarely seen in the Carnatic and upon the table-land ; occasionally found in Central India 

 and the Northern Circars ; most abundant in Bengal, but apparently not found, or rare, in 

 the north-west {Jerdon.). 



This Kingfisher is easily distinguished from all the other members of the genus by its 

 distinct dark brown cap. In Assam and Nepal a race occurs which has a slightly lighter 

 cap, but beyond this sub-species birds from all parts of India are identical. 



"In Cochin," says Dr. Day (I.e.), "the strong as well as handsome Gurial Kingfisher is 

 found near the ghauts ; it is very wary, and its flight greatly resembles that of the Alcedo 

 bengalemisy 



Ilulcyon gurial 



Ramphalcyon gurial 

 Pelargopsis gurial . 

 Halcyon capensis 

 Halcyon brunniceps . 

 Halcyon leucocephalus 

 Halcyon leucocephalus 



