A large kingfisher with blue shoulders and rump, it hunts in woodlands, along watercourses, and around wetlands, taking insects, frogs, and other small animals.
The head is off-white with brown streaks, while the shoulders and rump are blue. Males have dark blue tails; females have barred reddish-brown or blackish tails.
A breeding pair nests in a tree hollow, and helpers, often young from the previous year, may assist in feeding the chicks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.