Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) is a uncommon kingfisher found in 16 countries, weighing about 65 g. The brown-hooded kingfisher is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers.
About the Brown-hooded Kingfisher
The brown-hooded kingfisher is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It has a brown head and blackish and turquoise wings. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, living in woodland, scrubland, forest edges, and also suburban areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as being of least concern.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The brown-hooded kingfisher is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long. The head is brown, with blackish streaks. There is a broad buffy collar above the brownish-black mantle. The wing coverts are mostly brownish-black, and the secondary flight feathers are turquoise. The rump is azure-blue. The chin is white, the breast is tawny with some dark streaks, and the belly is buffy. The beak is red, tipped brown, the legs are carmine, and the eyes are dark brown. The female has dark brown upperparts, and its underparts are more streaked than the male.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Brown-hooded Kingfisher?
- The brown-hooded kingfisher is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Brown-hooded Kingfisher?
- The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is a medium sized bird weighing about 65 g.
- Where can you see a Brown-hooded Kingfisher?
- The Brown-hooded Kingfisher occurs in 16 countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique.
- What birds look similar to a Brown-hooded Kingfisher?
- The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is most easily confused with the Woodland Kingfisher, the Striped Kingfisher and the Grey-headed Kingfisher.
- Is the Brown-hooded Kingfisher endangered?
- The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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