THE SINGAPORE STORK-BILLED KINGriSHER 
Ramphalcyon caftcnsis hydrophila (Oberhober) 
Malay name: — ^Raja udang; PSkaka. 
Description: — As in the other local kingfishers the male 
and female of this bird are very similar in appearance and 
furthermore the young birds differ from the adults in detail 
only. Both sexes have the head, neck and entire ui.derparts 
light brownish-yellow the top of the head being washed with 
grey or putty colour. The wings, back and tail are greenish- 
blue, the rump being particularly bright in colour. To our 
mind the most conspicuous feature of the bird is the deep 
red beak and the bright red feet. The iris is brown, but the 
fieshly edges of the eyelids arc red. 
This is by far the largest of the local kingfishers and adult 
birds measure about 14 or 15 inches. The wing is about 
6 inches. 
Distribution: — The stork-billed kingfishers of this genus 
are found only in the Oriental region. They range from 
India and Ceylon through Burma, the Malay Peninsula and 
thence to Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes and the Phihppines. 
The Malaysian birds have been sub-divided into many races 
and by one authority the form found in Singapore is considered 
to enjoy but a Hmited range, viz.: — ^'Islands of Singapore, 
Lingga and Bintang, off the southem end of the Malay Penin- 
sula", but we may reasonably infer that it also extends to 
Other islands of the Rhio-Archipelago. The differences be* 
tween hydrophila and the stork -bills of the mainland of the 
Peninsula are however very slight. The species is a common 
bird in many parts of the Malay Peninsula and the outlying 
islands. 
Status itt Singapore :^Th\s targe kingfisher is a shy bird 
rarely, if ever, approaching the environs of the town but it is 
often seen on the northern and western coasts of Singapore 
and is fairly common on the neighbouring islets. It is, with 
us, essentially a maritime species and is especially fond of the 
