Photo: Walter Jetz / CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher
Halcyon badia
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (Halcyon badia) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (Halcyon badia) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 57.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
- Genus Halcyon
- Species badia
Where it lives
Sierra Leone to Ghana, southern Nigeria to western South Sudan, Uganda and central DR Congo
Quick facts
- Weight
- 57.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (Halcyon badia) is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sierra Leone to Ghana, s Nigeria to w South Sudan, Uganda and c DR Congo.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 57.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.2 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher?
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 57.9 g.
Where does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher live?
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sierra Leone to Ghana, s Nigeria to w South Sudan, Uganda and c DR Congo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher belong to?
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (Halcyon badia) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher eat?
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher migrate?
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher's range?
The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 3.2 million 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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