This kingfisher has elongated central tail feathers. It lives in lowland forests on the Aru Islands and southern New Guinea, where it searches for insects on foliage and the ground.
It has a dark blue crown and upperparts, a white rump and underparts, and elongated central tail feathers with spatulate tips.
It uses dense lowland rainforest and somewhat drier habitats than its close relative. It takes insects and larvae from foliage and the ground; nesting in arboreal termite nests has been reported.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.