All about Aldabra from SIF |18 October 2013

In May 2013 the first Madagascar Kingfisher Alcedo vintsiodes ever confirmed in Seychelles was accepted by the Seychelles Bird Records Committee as a new species record for the country. Vagrant birds are relatively common on Aldabra but it’s rare for the team to spot a completely new species.

The stunning kingfisher was spotted in March 2013 on Picard Island by Calum Ferguson, Arjan de Groene and Christina Quanz. The staff had the luck to have their cameras ready and took several shots of the bird which later helped the experts to distinguish it from the similar African Malachite Kingfisher. It is not clear from the pictures whether the bird originates from the Comoros or Madagascar, which host separate races, but it appears to belong to the nominate Madagascar race. The sighting will also be featured in the next issue of the Bulletin of the African Bird Club and on the SBRC website. Many thanks to Adrian Skerrett of the SBRC for confirming the identification.

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