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Little (Lesser) Paradise Kingfisher

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Subject: Little (Lesser) Paradise Kingfisher
From: Phil & Sue Gregory <>
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:24:46 +1000
Great find by the folks up on Saibai, and a very unexpected sighting.  This 
species is actually  rare and very poorly known, the call was not even known 
until the mid-1990's and no-one had seen it for years, until it was discovered 
at some sites along the Elevala River north of Kiunga, Western Province in the 
19990's. It likes denser forest with lots of rattans, and may prefer slightly 
wetter forest microclimates, than Common Paradise-Kingfisher, and it usually 
perches lower down than that bird, which is quite often way high in the canopy. 
The call is a low whistled ' hu hu hu" tremulous series, totally distinct to 
the noisy rattle of Common PK.

The status in the lower Trans-Fly these days is basically unknown, I know of no 
sightings and would be very pleased to hear if anyone has more information. 
Certainly on various trips to Bensbach I have not found this bird, and I have 
been listening for the call, which is usually the best way of finding it. What 
is also interesting is that there are no records at all of wanderers, this 
Saibai record is the very first. I suspect another cyclone driven bird, given 
all the activity along the monsoon front of late. BirdLife International lists 
this species as Data Deficient, meaning we have very little information about 
it.

Brian Coates' Birds of Papua New Guinea is one of the great bird books of the 
last century, a tour de force and a superb reference source, but do be aware 
that names change with time, and some of Brian's coinings are not widely 
accepted. All the major world checklists and Beehler's  standard New Guinea 
Field Guide go with Little Paradise Kingfisher, which is what i have always 
called it in my time in PNG. Whatever you call it, it's certainly a most 
unexpected record, I was fully anticipating it to be Common Paradise 
Kingfisher, for the reasons outlined above!
Cheers
Phil Gregory
www. cassowary-house.com.au==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com

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