Brown Hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris)
The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is a medium-sized kingfisher (approximately 23cm), with a big bill. In adult birds, both upper and lower mandibles are red. The bird has a brown crown, which is darker in adult females than males. The rest of the birds’ plumage is made up of brown, white, black and some blue feathers. The blue colour is best observed from behind. Adult birds call quite often, but they are not always that easily seen or photographed, preferring to spend time perched under a tree canopy. Hunting is usually from a perch, and prey captured on the ground or from branches of trees. Larger prey items are sometimes brought back to the perch, and beaten until dead and easier to swallow. They feed on insects, scorpions, reptiles, amphibians, occasionally other birds, and rarely on fish.
Size: 2200px × 2933px
Location: Amakhala, South Africa
Photo credit: © John Porter LRPS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: africa, african, albiventris, angola, bird, botswana, brown, brown-hooded, congo, democratic, gabon, halcyon, halcyoninae, hooded, kenya, kingfisher, malawi, mozambique, namibia, ornithology, republic, somalia, south, southern, swaziland, tanzania, tree, zambia, zimbabwe
