The temperature has climbed to nearly 25 degrees F this afternoon as the sun finally broke throw the dense inversion layer. Over the Bitterroot, a lone Belted Kingfisher rattled its call as it hovered above the ice-free center of the river. With a quick dive, it captures a hapless minnow. Bursting from the river with silver ring of splash, the kingfisher heads up river to its favorite perch to consume the hard-earned meal. The kingfisher is the only reminiscence of tropical warmth in the brilliantly white and silent winter landscape of Montana. The vast majority of its other family members live in the tropics. Many are blue like this kingfishers, while others are green. Some of these cousin species thrive on isolated islands like the Bismarck Kingfisher from the islands of the name name. The Bismarck Kingfisher illustration leaps from the page of the Birds of Melanesia from Princeton University Press.
Melanesia is a region of islands in the south-west Pacific and generally located to the northwest of Australia and New Guinea. This loose logical confederation of islands is mainly inhabited by Papuan-speaking peoples. As unique as the people are in Melanesia, the birds have equally diverge in unique evolutionary directions due to their isolation on the islands. The Kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus) is perhaps the most unique found on New Caledonia. It is so unique that its exact taxonomic affinities are still largely unresolved. Its nearest possible relative is the Sunbittern of Central and South America. The Kagu stalks the undergrowth of the forests where it consumes a diet composed of entirely animal prey.
This terrific Guy Dutson authored guide is exquisitely illustrated with short corresponding text summaries (longer species write-ups occupy the second half of the guide). A specialized bar under the species summary graphical displays the island (island group) presence and relative abundance.
Warming temperatures are starting to herald the coming of spring, and my mind starts to wander to day-dreams of summer birding. I cannot wait to be outside without long sleeves and heavy coats. Maybe next year, I will cheat winter, and search for the Kagu on New Caledonia with my binoculars strap tan on my shoulders.
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