Mangrove Kingfisher
Halcyon senegaloides
The Mangrove Kingfisher (Halcyon senegaloides) is a rare kingfisher found in 4 countries, weighing about 62 g. The mangrove kingfisher is a kingfisher in the genus Halcyon.
About the Mangrove Kingfisher
The mangrove kingfisher is a kingfisher in the genus Halcyon. It is similar in appearance to the woodland kingfisher. It is found along the eastern coastline of Sub-Saharan Africa, living in woodland, along rivers, and in estuaries and mangrove. 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 mangrove kingfisher is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long. The male and female are alike. The head is dark grey-brown, with black lores and a narrow white line above the eye, and the cheeks and sides of the neck are brown-grey. The grey breast and flanks are vermiculated (having dense, irregular lines). There is a black patch under the wing. The rest of the plumage is similar to the woodland kingfisher, having black and blue covert and flight feathers. The beak of the mangrove kingfisher is red, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs are dark grey-brown.
What the Mangrove Kingfisher sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Mangrove Kingfisher can be seen all year round, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Mangrove Kingfisher?
- The mangrove kingfisher is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Mangrove Kingfisher?
- The Mangrove Kingfisher is a medium sized bird weighing about 62 g.
- Where can you see a Mangrove Kingfisher?
- The Mangrove Kingfisher occurs in 4 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.
- What does a Mangrove Kingfisher sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Mangrove Kingfisher on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Mangrove Kingfisher?
- The Mangrove Kingfisher is most easily confused with the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, the Javan Kingfisher and the Brown-breasted Kingfisher.
- Is the Mangrove Kingfisher endangered?
- The Mangrove Kingfisher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Mangrove Kingfisher for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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