Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

The bold, almost-primary color scheme of the buff-breasted paradise-kingfisher calls to mind the palettes used for cartoon birds; looking at the color column, I think of the Road Runner and Woody Woodpecker.

In spite of its punchy colors, this tree kingfisher isn’t often seen. During its breeding season in northeastern Australia, it resides in dense lowland rainforest and wooded hillsides where active termite mounds are plentiful. The kingfisher isn’t prioritizing the termites as food; instead, it burrows into the mound to create a nesting chamber. Researchers believe the termites maintain a constant temperature that is suitable for incubating the kingfishers’ eggs and/or that termite efforts to shore up their home after the kingfisher excavation also prevent collapse of the burrow – a temperature-controlled nest with an insurance policy! 🪺📄

Over the years, the buff-breasted paradise-kingfisher has gone by different names, including white-tailed kingfisher, long-tailed kingfisher, racquet-tailed kingfisher, black-headed kingfisher, and, my favorite of the bunch, kinghunter. In fact, its official common name wasn’t assigned until late last century. Then there’s its scientific binomial, Tanysiptera sylvia, which translates as “forest long wing.” I like the sound of that one, but it evokes an Endor glider more than this colorful and charismatic bird – but maybe that’s just me.

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.