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Grey-headed kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
Grey-headed kingfisher fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Grey-headed kingfisher description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae |
| Genus | Halcyon (1) |
The grey-headed kingfisher is an insect-eating kingfisher with a silvery-grey head, nape and breast and a distinctive chestnut belly (3) (4) (5).The wing primaries are black, while the secondaries and the tail are cobalt-blue (3) (5). The straight, dagger shaped bill is bright orangey-red (3) (5) (6). Although the sexes are alike in appearance, immature birds tend to be duller and have a blackish bill and dark barring across the chest (3) (5).
- Also known as
- Chestnut-bellied kingfisher, gray-headed kingfisher, gray-hooded kingfisher.
- French
- Martin-chasseur à tête grise.
- Size
- Length: 20 cm (2)
- The African Bird Club:
www.africanbirdclub.org - BirdLife International:
http://www.birdlife.org - Incubated
- The act of keeping eggs warm so that development is possible.
- Primaries
- In birds, the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of the wing.
- Secondaries
- In birds, the shorter flight feathers projecting along the inner edge of the wing.
- IUCN Red List (December, 2008)
http://www.iucnredlist.org/ - Alden, P.C., Estes, R.D., Schlitter, D. and McBride, B. (1996) Collins Guide to African Wildlife. HarperCollins Publishers, London.
- Richards, D. (2001) A Photographic Guide to Birds of East Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
- Sinclair, I. (1994) Ian Sinclair's Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
- Sinclair, I. and Davidson, I. (2006) Southern African Birds: A Photographic Guide. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
- Burnie, D. (2001) Animal. Dorling Kindersley, London.
- BirdLife International (April, 2009)
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1105&m=0 - Biodiversity Explorer: The Web of Life in Southern Africa (April, 2009)
http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/dacelonidae/halcyon_leucocephala.htm - World Database on Protected Areas (April, 2009)
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Grey-headed kingfisher biology
Despite the name, the grey-headed kingfisher does not feed on fish, but instead thrives on a wide variety of insects, such as grasshoppers, cockroaches and beetles, and occasionally takes small vertebrates such as lizards (3) (8). Like other kingfishers, this species generally sits still on a perch, before diving steeply down to the ground in pursuit of prey (6) (8).
The nest, which is excavated by both sexes, consists of a tunnel up to a metre long, dug into a riverbank, gully or termite mound (2) (8). Egg-laying occurs between September and December, with three to four eggs incubated by both parent birds for around 20 days (8).
TopGrey-headed kingfisher range
The grey-headed kingfisher is common across much of sub-Saharan Africa (2) (7) (8). As a migratory species, it generally only occurs in southern Africa during the breeding season (8).
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Species with a similar range
Grey-headed kingfisher habitat
Found in broadleaved woodland and savanna habitats, particularly along rivers and streams (2) (3) (8).
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Species found in a similar habitat
Grey-headed kingfisher status
Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).
Grey-headed kingfisher threats
The grey-headed kingfisher is widespread, common and not thought to be under significant threat (7) (8), but is probably affected by habitat loss and fragmentation in parts of its range.
TopGrey-headed kingfisher conservation
There are currently no known conservation measures in place for the grey-headed kingfisher. However, given its widespread distribution, it is likely to occur in numerous protected areas across its range (9).
|
View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. |
Find out more
To find out more about the conservation of African birds see:
For more information on this and other bird species please see:
Authentication
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact: arkive@wildscreen.org.ukTopGlossary
References
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Image credit
Grey-headed kingfisher perched on branch, side view
© Martin B Withers / www.flpa-images.co.uk
FLPA - images of nature
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Suffolk IP14 5QA
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