Photo: Jayanth Sharma / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-winged Kingfisher
Pelargopsis amauroptera
Brown-winged Kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauroptera) — Kingfishers & Rollers of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-winged Kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauroptera) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 162 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
- Genus Pelargopsis
- Species amauroptera
Quick facts
- Weight
- 162 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-winged Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown-winged Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-winged Kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauroptera) is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR e India to w Thailand coasts.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 162 g, with a wing length of about 13.9 cm and a tail of around 8.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 126,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-winged Kingfisher?
The Brown-winged Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 162 g.
Where does the Brown-winged Kingfisher live?
The Brown-winged Kingfisher is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR e India to w Thailand coasts, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-winged Kingfisher belong to?
The Brown-winged Kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauroptera) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Brown-winged Kingfisher eat?
The Brown-winged Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Brown-winged Kingfisher migrate?
The Brown-winged Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-winged Kingfisher endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Brown-winged Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-winged Kingfisher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown-winged Kingfisher's range?
The Brown-winged Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 126,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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