These smaller members of our Kingfishers are common and familiar throughout the coastal regions of mainland Australia, their range also extends across from Borneo, through Indonesia, Papua-New Guinea and down to New Zealand.
 They inhabit woodlands, mangroves, open eucalypt forest and melaleuca forest and are quite plentiful here, you will often see them perched on power lines as you walk or drive around, the photo was taken on the south side of Ross Creek as you go out to the stone jetty, words can’t express how beautiful I think these lovely creatures are.
 They feed on crustaceans, reptiles, insects and their larvae and sometimes fish, like our other Kingfishers and Kookaburras hunting is done from a low branch and prey are pounced upon from a low branch when there is a quick return flight to a perch where the prey is stunned and eaten.
Both sexes are similar although the female is generally lighter with duller upper parts, young birds are similar to the female but have varying amounts of rusty-brown edging to feathers on the collar and under parts.
 The nest is normally a burrow in a termite mound, hollow branch or river bank and can be up to 20m above the ground, like most birds both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the young.