A sacred bird

Throughout history many animals have been named sacred but I haven't found the reason for the naming of one our kingfisher species as sacred. Of course it could have been that the person who discovered this bird was so taken by the magnificent colour thought it should be made sacred. So we have the pleasure each year of visits by at least a pair of Sacred Kingfishers Todiramphus sanctus. 

Their favourite nesting site is a hollow they have made in a large termite nest, high in one of our eucalyptus and when not at the nest, they are busy working the forest looking for insects ,frogs and lizards. They are one of Australia's ten species of kingfishers and are quite wide spread over the continent. Many of the wintering birds will travel though the islands to the north and as far as Indonesia and they are also found on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and across to New Zealand.