Halcyon smyrnensis -- (Linnaeus, 1758) ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- CORACIIFORMES -- ALCEDINIDAE Common names: White-breasted Kingfisher; White-throated Kingfisher European Red List Assessment European Red List Status VU -- Vulnerable, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Vulnerable (VU) EU27 regional assessment: Not Applicable (NA)

In Europe this species has a small, declining population and is therefore classified as Vulnerable (C1, D1).

The bird is considered vagrant in the EU27 and is assessed as Not Applicable (NA) for this region. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Azerbaijan; Turkey Vagrant: Bulgaria; Cyprus; Greece Population The European population is estimated at 170-260 pairs, which equates to 340-520 mature individuals. The species does not occur in the EU27. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe the population size is estimated to be decreasing by at least 10% in 11.4 years (three generations). For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology This species uses a wide variety of habitats including dams, ponds, canals, creeks, swamps, mudflats, farmland, large gardens, roadside trees, light industrial sites and dry deciduous forest. It usually avoids dense forest except for clearings and is less common above 2,000 m (Woodall and Kirwan 2015). Breeding birds have been recorded in April and May in Europe (Kirwan et al. 2008). The species is considered monogamous, but the presence of three birds in some areas suggests possibility of communal breeding. The nest is usually excavated in an earthen bank of a ditch, stream, river, pond or road cutting and can also sometimes be in a termitarium, rock crevice, tree or mud hole. The nest-chamber is normally up to 15–23 cm wide and 13 cm high, at the end of an inclined tunnel 30–150 cm long. Clutches can be between four and seven eggs but usually five or six. The diet is widely variable and includes insects, scorpions, centipedes, snails, crustaceans, earthworms, fish, frogs and toads, lizards, chameleons, snakes, birds, voles, mice and squirrels. It hunts from a perch and will batter prey before swallowing it. Many populations exhibit partial short-distance migration, with seasonal changes in abundance, probably involving mostly juveniles. Vagrants have been recorded in Greece, Cyprus and the former U.S.S.R., and individuals may move more than realized (Woodall and Kirwan 2015). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable resident Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below ha) suitable resident Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable resident Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable resident Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable resident Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations suitable resident Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens suitable resident Artificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable resident Marine Intertidal - Mud Flats and Salt Flats suitable resident Marine Intertidal - Rocky Shoreline suitable resident Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc suitable resident Marine Intertidal - Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches suitable resident Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable resident Altitude 0-2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats Little is known about the threats facing this species in Europe. The small population in Turkey is not widely distributed, with 75% of birds concentrated in five localities. This makes the species vulnerable to any threats (van den Berk and Kasparek 1988). Habitat degradation from factors such as irrigation, overgrazing, dam construction and erosion as well as are recorded in areas where the species in present (Ozturk et al. 2012) and may be a threat to this species. The use of pesticides may also be a problem (Ozturk et al. 2012). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Agriculture & Small-holder Timing Scope Severity Impact aquaculture grazing, ranching or Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown farming Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Natural system Abstraction of Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications surface water Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown (agricultural use) Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Natural system Dams (size Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications unknown) Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Pollution Agricultural & Timing Scope Severity Impact forestry effluents Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown (soil erosion, sedimentation) Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Pollution Herbicides and Timing Scope Severity Impact pesticides Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects Conservation Conservation Actions Underway Bern Convention Appendix II. There are no known conservation measures in place for this species.

Conservation Actions Proposed Due to the restricted range of this species in Europe important sites should be protected, including legislation to guard them from development. Research into the species's ecology and habitat needs should be undertaken to inform future conservation measures and help assess potential threats and their impacts in order to develop appropriate responses. Bibliography Kirwan, G., Demirci, B., Welch, H., Boyla, K., Özen, M., Castell, P. & Marlow, T. (2008). The Birds of Turkey. London, Christopher Helm Ozturk, M., Kebapci, U., Gucel, S., Cetin, E. and Altundag, E. 2012. Biodiversity and land degradation in the lower Euphrates subregion of Turkey. Journal of Environmental Biology 33: 311-323. Snow, D. W.; Perrins, C. M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Woodall, P.F. & Kirwan, G.M. (2015). White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2015). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/55748 on 27 April 2015). Map (see overleaf)