NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Melanesian Kingfisher
Todiramphus tristrami (E. L. Layard, 1880)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Melanesian kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami) is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago and the northwest and central Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the collared kingfisher.
Wikipedia contributors, Melanesian kingfisher; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:49:39.273832+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Todiramphus tristrami (E. L. Layard, 1880)
- Name authority
- (E. L. Layard, 1880)
- Common name
- Melanesian Kingfisher
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Todiramphus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderCoraciiformes
- familyAlcedinidae
- subfamilyHalcyoninae
- genusTodiramphus R. Lesson, 1827
- speciesTodiramphus tristrami (E. L. Layard, 1880)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Todiramphus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Lazuli KingfisherTodiramphus lazuli (Temminck, 1830) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cinnamon-banded KingfisherTodiramphus australasia (Vieillot, 1818) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sombre KingfisherTodiramphus funebris Bonaparte, 1850 | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Talaud KingfisherTodiramphus enigma (E. Hartert, 1904) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Vanuatu KingfisherTodiramphus farquhari (Sharpe, 1899) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Blue-and-white KingfisherTodiramphus diops (Temminck, 1824) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Society KingfisherTodiramphus veneratus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rufous-lored KingfisherTodiramphus winchelli (Sharpe, 1877) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chattering KingfisherTodiramphus tutus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ultramarine KingfisherTodiramphus leucopygius (J. Verreaux, 1858) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Blue-black KingfisherTodiramphus nigrocyaneus (Wallace, 1862) | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Niau KingfisherTodiramphus gertrudae Murphy, 1924 | AlcedinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1174563 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:8VDTP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.