Bird Guide

Green Kingfisher vs Pied Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)

Green Kingfisher

Chloroceryle americana

Small34 gRiverine

The green kingfisher is about 20 cm (8 in) long and weighs about 35 to 40 g (1.2 to 1.4 oz); females are larger and heavier than males. Birds in the northern and southern parts of its range, and those west of the Andes, are larger and heavier than the others, but the differences tend to be clinal. The species has the typical kingfisher shape with long heavy bill (heaviest in Trinidad and Tobago); in contrast to many other kingfishers, however, it does not have an obvious crest. The bill is black with some horn color at the base of the mandible and its legs and feet are dark gray.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Green Kingfisher
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Esmeraldas: Same, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: dany13 · CC BY 2.0
Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

Pied Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis

Medium84 gWetland

This is a medium-sized kingfisher, about 25 cm (9.8 in) long with a white with a black mask, a white supercilium and black breast bands. The crest is neat and the upperparts are barred in black. Several subspecies are recognized within the broad distribution. The nominate race is found in sub-Saharan Africa, extending into West Asia. The subspecies syriacus is a larger northern bird similar to the nominate subspecies (following Bergmann's rule). Subspecies leucomelanura is found from Afghanistan east into India, Thailand and Southeast Asia.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Pied Kingfisher
Recorded by Anne Ndung'u · Song · Busiro, Wakiso, Central Region, Uganda · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Green Kingfisher and Pied Kingfisher.