Grey-headed Kingfishers

Also, refer to the Grey-headed Kingfishers found on Vanuatu islands.


The Grey-headed Kingfishers (Halcyon leucocephala) has a wide distribution from the Cape Verde Islands off the north-west coast of Africa to Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia, east to Ethiopia, Somalia, and southern Arabia and south to South Africa.

A dry-country kingfisher of scrub and woodland, solitary or in pairs, often found near water, but unlike most kingfishers is not aquatic. This species migrates at night and is often killed by flying into obstacles such as buildings, towers, and powerlines.

Description

In appearance very similar to the Woodland Kingfisher but with a red rather than red and black bill and similar to the Brown-hooded Kingfisher, but the Brown-hooded lacks the chestnut belly.

Nesting / Breeding

Nests in holes in steep riverbanks and is aggressively protective of its nest by repeated dive-bombing of foraging Monitor lizards. It is parasitized by the Greater Honeyguide.

Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)

Diet / Feeding

Perches on branch, unmoving for long periods while watching the ground for signs of insects or small lizards, bobbing head before diving on prey.

Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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