Blue-eared Kingfisher

Description:

This 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long kingfisher is almost identical to the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) but is distinguished by the blue ear coverts, darker and more intense cobalt-blue upperparts with richer rufous under parts. The juvenile blue-eared kingfisher has rufous ear-coverts as in the common kingfisher but it usually shows some mottling on the throat and upper breast which disappears when the bird reaches adulthood. Young birds have a reddish bill with whitish tip. This specie is among the smallest of the Kingfishers to be found in Borneo.

Habitat:

It is found mainly in dense shaded forests where it hunts in small streams.

Notes:

Spotted during a night river safari along Kinabatangan River. In Pic#1, you can see a mosquito biting its left feet.