Todiramphus macleayii
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The forest kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii), also known as Macleay's or the blue kingfisher, is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, also known as tree kingfishers. It is a predominantly a blue and white bird. It is found in Indonesia, New Guinea and coastal eastern and Northern Australia. Like many other kingfishers, it hunts invertebrates, small frogs, and lizards.
The forest kingfisher was first described by the naturalists Sir William Jardine and Prideaux John Selby in 1830. It was known for many years by its old scientific name of Halcyon macleayi before being transferred to the genus Todiramphus.
Three subspecies are recognised: T. m. macleayi, the nominate subspecies, is found across the Top End eastwards to the Gulf of Carpentaria. T. m. incinctus, described by John Gould, has a greener tinge to its back and is slightly larger. It is found down the east coast of Australia.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Hunter Valley Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flying High Bird Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Kingfisher sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 130 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 76th most-seen of the 136 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Kingfisher in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June and December–January, the lowest months. That is one of Springbrook National Park's wettest months, with about 210 mm of rain against 45 mm in August.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Forest Kingfisher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Forest Kingfisher sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 50%), Daintree National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Forest Kingfisher is recorded against all the birds logged in Springbrook National Park (130 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
