Bird Guide

Grey-headed Kingfisher vs Woodland Kingfisher

Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Halcyon leucocephala

Small42 gShrubland

The sexes are similar. The adult of the nominate race H. l. leucocephala has a pale grey head, black mantle and back, bright blue rump, wings and tail, and chestnut underparts. Subspecies H. l. pallidiventris has a darker grey head and paler chestnut underparts but is otherwise similar. The beak is long, red and sharp. This bird grows to an average length of 21 cm (8.3 in). The song is a succession of notes, ascending, descending and then ascending again, becoming increasingly strident. The warning call is a series of sharp notes, "tchk, tchk, tchk, tchk".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0
Woodland Kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis)

Woodland Kingfisher

Halcyon senegalensis

Medium73 gWoodland

This is a medium-sized kingfisher, 23 cm (9.1 in) in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wing panel and tail. Its head, neck and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black. The flight of the woodland kingfisher is rapid and direct. The large bill has a red upper mandible and black lower mandible. The legs and feet are dark grey. Some birds may have greyish heads, causing confusion with mangrove kingfisher.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Woodland Kingfisher
Recorded by Anne Ndung'u · Song · Kisumu, Kisumu County, Kenya · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Xavi Talleda · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey-headed Kingfisher and Woodland Kingfisher.