Science Art: Pl. 119 Cittura cyanotis, from A monograph of the Alcedinidae : or, family of kingfishers by Richard Bowdler Sharpe.

1 December 2019 grant Featured, Science Art 0

Scientific illustration of a lilac kingfisher, an Indonesian bird, from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Scientific illustration of a lilac kingfisher, an Indonesian bird, from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Scientific illustration of a lilac kingfisher, an Indonesian bird, from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.Click to embiggen slightly

A lilac kingfisher, as pictured in the 1800s in A Monograph of the Alcedinidae, found in the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

It’s a bird from Sulawesi, an Indonesian bird, the only member of its genus. So it’s a bit of an odd bird, I suppose. Though there are two sub-species, so maybe it’s getting odder. Its call: “Very rapid “ku-ku-ku-ku”, repeated every few minutes; 3–4 descending.”

Got a bit of a look, doesn’t it? Knows something.