{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Speciesbox | name = Black-capped kingfisher | status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International. |year=2022 |title=''Halcyon pileata'' |volume=2022 |article-number=e.T22683249A212490546 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T22683249A212490546.en |access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref> | image = Black-capped Kingfisher Sundarbans West Bengal India 30.12.2014.jpg | image_caption = An adult Black-capped Kingfisher from Sundarban, West Bengal, India. | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Halcyon pileata | authority = (Boddaert, 1783) }} <!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Black-capped Kingfisher MSH Sourav.jpg|thumb|In flight in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh]] --> The '''black-capped kingfisher''' ('''''Halcyon pileata''''') is a tree kingfisher which is widely distributed in tropical Asia from India east to China, Korea and Southeast Asia. This most northerly of the tree kingfishers is resident over much of its range, but northern populations are migratory, wintering south of their range in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Borneo and Java. It is distinctive in having a black cap that contrasts with the whitish throat, purple-blue wings and the coral red bill. The species is mainly found in coastal and mangrove habitats but can sometimes be found far inland.
==Taxonomy== The black-capped kingfisher was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his ''Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux'' in 1780.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Buffon | first=Georges-Louis Leclerc de | author-link=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | year=1780 | title=Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux | volume=13 | place=Paris | publisher=De L'Imprimerie Royale | page=278 | chapter= Le martin-pêcheur à coiffe noir | language=fr | chapter-url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42410767 }}</ref> The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the ''Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle'', which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text.<ref>{{ cite book | last1=Buffon | first1=Georges-Louis Leclerc de | author1-link=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | last2=Martinet | first2=François-Nicolas | author2-link=François-Nicolas Martinet | last3=Daubenton | first3=Edme-Louis | author3-link=Edme-Louis Daubenton | last4=Daubenton | first4=Louis-Jean-Marie | author4-link=Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton | year=1765–1783 | title=Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle | volume=7 | place=Paris | publisher=De L'Imprimerie Royale | at=Plate 673, Martin-pêcheur de la Chine | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35219171 }}</ref> Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name, but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name ''Alcedo pileata'' in his catalogue of the ''Planches Enluminées''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Boddaert | first=Pieter | author-link=Pieter Boddaert | year=1783 | title=Table des planches enluminéez d'histoire naturelle de M. D'Aubenton: avec les denominations de M.M. de Buffon, Brisson, Edwards, Linnaeus et Latham, precedé d'une notice des principaux ouvrages zoologiques enluminés | place=Utrecht | page=41 Number 673 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27822661 | language=fr }}</ref> The type locality is China.<ref name=peters>{{ cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1945 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=5 | publisher=Harvard University Press | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=197 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14480208 }}</ref> The present genus ''Halcyon'' was introduced by the English naturalist and artist William Swainson in 1821.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Swainson | first=William | author-link=William Swainson | year=1821 | title=Zoological illustrations | volume=1 | place=London | publisher=Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and W. Wood | at=Plate 27 text | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29156540 }}</ref> ''Halcyon'' is a name for a bird in Greek mythology generally associated with the kingfisher. The specific epithet ''pileata'' is from the Latin ''pileatus'' meaning '-capped'.<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn= 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n185 185], 306 }}</ref> The species is monotypic.<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2017 | title=Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers | work=World Bird List Version 7.2 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/rollers/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=7 November 2017 }}</ref>
== Description == [[Image:Black Capped Kingfisher.jpg|thumb|left|Adult along the Zuari River]] This kingfisher is about {{convert|28|cm|in}} long. The adult has purple-blue wings and back, black head and shoulders, white neck collar and throat, and rufous underparts. The large bill and legs are bright red. In flight, large white patches or "mirrors" at the base of the primaries are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult and show streaks on the throat.<ref name=fbi2>{{cite book |last=Baker | first=E.C. Stuart | year=1927|pages=271–272 |title=The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Birds | volume=IV | edition=2nd | place=London |publisher=Taylor and Francis |url=https://archive.org/stream/BakerFbiBirds4/BakerFBI4#page/n301/mode/1up}}</ref> The call of this kingfisher is a cackling ''ki-ki-ki-ki-ki''.
Usually seen on coastal waters and especially in mangroves, it is easily disturbed. It perches conspicuously and dives to catch fish, and also feeds on large insects. The flight of the black-capped kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring.
The breeding season is in summer. The nest is a tunnel in an earth bank. A single clutch of 4-5 round, white eggs is typical.<ref name=fbi2 />
A subspecies ''palawanensis'' has been described, but the species is considered to be monotypic with no clear plumage differences across its range.<ref name=peters />
==Distribution and habitat ==
The species is found mainly near the coast in mangrove forests and along estuaries and rivers. The distribution ranges from India (including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where they occur even on remote islands like Narcondam<ref>{{cite journal|author=Osmaston, B.B.|title=A visit to Narcondam |url=https://archive.org/stream/journalofbombayn16abomb#page/620/mode/2up/ |journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=16|issue=4|pages=620–622|year=1905}}</ref>), Sri Lanka, Kansu, Shansi, Korea, Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Burma,<ref>{{cite book|page=83|url=https://archive.org/stream/handbooktobirdso02oaterich#page/82/mode/2up/|title=A handbook to the birds of British Burmah. Volume 2|author=Oates, E.W.|publisher=R.H. Porter|place=London|year=1883}}</ref> Ryukyu Islands, Bangladesh, Hainan, Philippines (Palawan, Balabac, Basilan, Tawi Tawi), Borneo, Sumatra east to Sulawesi where it occurs only in winter.<ref name=peters/> Vagrants in winter have been recorded in Pakistan,<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://orientalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kylanpaa-Kingfisher.pdf|author=Kylanpaa, Juha|title=Black-capped Kingfisher ''Halcyon pileata'': a new species for Pakistan|journal=Forktail|volume=13|year=1998|page=126}}</ref> while movements related to rainfall may lead to their being found far inland and away from their usual distribution.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Stevens, H |year=1904| title=The occurrence of the Black-capped Kingfisher ''Halcyon pileata'' in North Lakhimpur, Upper Assam|journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=16|issue=1|pages=154–155|url=https://archive.org/stream/journalofbombayn16abomb#page/154/mode/2up/}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Betts, F.N. |year=1957|author-link=Frederick Nicholson Betts|title=''Halcyon pileata'' inland|journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=54|issue=2|page=462}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Allen, P.R.|year=1905|title=Occurrence of the Black-capped Kingfisher ''Halcyon pileata'' in the Godavari Delta|journal= J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=16|issue=3|page=511|url=https://archive.org/stream/journalofbombayn16abomb#page/510/mode/2up/}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|year=1956|title= Occurrence of the Blackcapped Kingfisher, ''Halcyon pileata'' (Boddaert) at Coimbatore, South India|journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.|volume=53|issue=4|page=698}}</ref><ref name=monograph>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/monographofalced00shar#page/n385/mode/2up/|pages=169–170|title=A monograph of the Alcedinidae: or family of Kingfishers|year=1871|author=Sharpe, R. B.}}</ref>
== In culture == Like many other kingfishers, this species was much sought for the blue feathers for use in the millinery trade. Feathers were used in making fans in China.<ref name=monograph /> In Hong Kong, their feathers were cut and glued over ornaments used by women.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The ornithology of Amoy (China)|author=Swinhoe, R.|author-link=Robert Swinhoe|doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.1860.tb06351.x|journal=Ibis|volume=2|issue=1|pages=45–68|year= 1860 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/403343 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Halcyon pileata}} {{Wikispecies|Halcyon pileata}}
{{Halcyoninae}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1049056}}
black-capped kingfisher Category:Birds of China Category:Birds of Hainan Category:Birds of Korea Category:Wintering birds of Indomalaya black-capped kingfisher