Brown-Hooded Kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris
Also known as: Brown-Headed Kingfisher
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
65 g
About This Species
A chunky, brown-headed kingfisher of sub-Saharan African woodland and savanna that hunts mostly away from water, dropping from a low perch onto insects, lizards and small prey on the ground. Look for it sitting quietly on a fence post, low branch or overhead wire, and listen for a loud, descending trilled call, often given at dawn or in the cooler parts of the day. Open woodland edges and cultivated land near cover are good places to find a resident pair.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Watch from a distance using a favoured perch as a fixed viewing point rather than approaching directly, since flushing a hunting kingfisher repeatedly can push it away from a productive feeding area.
- Wild bird protection law differs across the many sub-Saharan countries it inhabits, so avoid assuming any single country's rule applies throughout its range.
- A stationary, patient approach near a known perch gives the best views with minimal disturbance.
LCAvesCoraciiformesAlcedinidae
Seasonal Activity
194,357 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 65 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.