Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 272-274.

Order CORACIIFORMES: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Rollers and Allies Suborder ALCEDINES: Kingfishers, Todies and Motmots Family HALCYONIDAE Vigors: Forest Kingfishers Halcyonidae Vigors, 1825: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 14(3): 428 – Type genus Halcyon Swainson, 1821.

This group is sometimes treated as a subfamily withinin Alcedinidae (e.g. Schodde 1997d) but we follow Christidis & Boles (1994, 2008) in recognising it at the familial level. Order of species follows Christidis & Boles (2008).

Genus Todiramphus Lesson Todiramphus Lesson, 1827: Mém. Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 3: 420 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Todiramphus sacer Lesson = Todiramphus tutus (Gmelin). Sauropatis Cabanis & Heine, 1860: Mus. Heineanum 2: 158 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Halcyon sanctus Vigors & Horsfield = Todiramphus sanctus (Vigors & Horsfield). Todirhamphus Salvadori, 1880: Ornitologia Papuasia Molucche 1: 468. Unjustified emendation.

Todiramphus is now used for the Australasian and south-west Pacific kingfishers of this group, leaving Halcyon for the Afro-Asian species (e.g. Christidis & Boles 1994, 2008; Schodde 1997d). A molecular phylogeny supported this (Moyle 2006). Swainson (1821) figured and described the Micronesian kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus with a type locality of New Zealand, and Potts (1871) reported two further sightings. Subsequent workers have dismissed these as a mislabelling and mistaken identifications respectively (e.g. Finsch 1873).

Todiramphus sanctus Vigors & Horsfield Sacred Kingfisher Halcyon sanctus Vigors & Horsfield, 1827: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 15: 206 – “New Holland”, restricted to New South Wales, Australia (fide Schodde 1997, Zool. Cat. Australia 37.2: 365).

Widespread in Australia (nominate subspecies); southern populations wintering in northern Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Resident in New Zealand and Lord Howe Island (subspecies T. s. vagans), Norfolk Island (T. s. norfolkiensis), the Loyalty Islands (T. s. macmillani Mayr, 1940) and New Caledonia (T. s. canacorum Brasil, 1916).

Todiramphus sanctus vagans (Lesson) New Zealand Kingfisher Alcedo vagans Lesson, 1828: Manuel d’Ornith. 2: 89 – Bay of Islands. Halcyon vagans (Lesson); G.R. Gray 1843, in E. Dieffenbach, Travels in N.Z. 2: 186. Alcedo cyanea J.R. Forster, 1844: in M.H.C. Lichtenstein, Descrip. Animalium: 76 – North Island. Dacelo vagans (Lesson); Peale 1848, U.S. Expl. Exped. 8: 162. Dacelo albifrons Peale, 1848: U.S. Expl. Exped. 8: 162 – Bay of Islands. Todirhamphus vagans (Lesson); Bonaparte 1850, Consp. Gen. Avium 1: 157. Halcyon cinnamominus; Potts 1871, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 3: 71. Not Todiramphus cinnamominus (Swainson, 1821). Sauropatis sanctus vagans (Lesson); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 429. Sauropatis sanctus forsteri Mathews & Iredale, 1913: Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 429 – South Island. Halcyon sancta vagans (Lesson); Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 58. Todiramphus (Todiramphus) sanctus vagans (Lesson); Schodde 1997, Zool. Cat. Australia 37.2: 367.

Widespread throughout North and South Islands and Stewart Island / Rakiura—and on most offshore islands; also the Kermadec Island Group. Especially common and widespread in the North Island; least numerous in inland and southern areas of the South Island (Robertson, C. et al. 2007). There appears to be a movement in winter from inland high country and forest to lowland farmland and the coast (Taylor, R.H. 1966). Straggler to Chatham Islands (Miskelly et al. 2006). Poorly represented in Holocene fossil deposits. This could mean that the species colonised New Zealand relatively recently (Millener 1990), or that it was confined to coastal habitats before the major episode of Mäori deforestation 400–600 years ago (Holdaway et al. 2001: 136).