The Sacred Kingfisher is a species of woodland kingfisher found in Australia, New Zealand (where it is known as kōtare), and other nearby parts of the Pacific. It gets its name from a Polynesian traditional belief that the bird has control over the ocean's waves.
Sacred Kingfishers have a lovely turquoise blue plumage, with white and buffy underparts. They dine on a variety of prey items, including many types of insect, plus small fish, frogs, lizards, snakes, and even other birds.
The Sacred Kingfisher has a fairly large natural range, and the population trend is increasing. The conservation status for this species is Least Concern as of October 2014.
