> Went for an hour's walk yesterday around the lake at the La Trobe Uni
> Wetlands. While walking along the bank adjacent to the Cricket oval, i
> spotted a Common Myna perched on a dead tree branch on the swamp bank,
> but then through my binos only a foot away was a Kingfisher. I had about
> 15-20 seconds viewing, and iam reasonably sure it was a Forest
> Kingfisher, mainly blue and white. Has anyone spotted these around the
> area?, could i be mistaking it for a Sacred?, ( not enough evidence of
> Buff belly and green on wings for mine ). Please let me know!.
Hi Mark
I had reason to look twice at some kingfishers recently at Gunbower Island
(northern Victoria between Echuca and Kerang on the Murray River). I saw
what I thought might have beeen a Forest Kingfisher there last month -
electric blue above and very white below, and with a whitish spot before the
eye. In retrospect now (after glassing a few dozen Sacred Kingfishers) I
think it was a Sacred. Many Sacreds are quite blue on the back rather than
greenish blue, and are sometimes quite white below. I guess the rather buff
frontal spot could be whiter on occasions too. The thing to look for in
Forest Kingfishers though is that they have a prominent white wing spot near
the base of the primaries - Sacreds have no pale patch there at all.
Unfortunately I didn't see my bird fly, so couldn't check that feature.
Also, Forest Kingfishers in Victoria would be way out of range - the Vic
Atlas of 1986 reports only one Victorian record.
Cheers -- Lawrie
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LAWRIE CONOLE
3 Gezireh Street, Pascoe Vale South
Victoria 3044 AUSTRALIA. 37°44'27"S 144°56'17"E
Phone (03) 9354 2484; Mobile (0419) 588 993
E-mail: <>
My home page: http://www.users.bigpond.com/ocoineoil/
Twitchathon: http://www.users.bigpond.com/ocoineoil/sections/cdph.html
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