Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats/ / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris
Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 65.1 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 albiventris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 65.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) belongs to the Alcedinidae family of the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, se, wc.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 65.1 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-hooded Kingfisher?
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 65.1 g.
Where does the Brown-hooded Kingfisher live?
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, se, wc, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Brown-hooded Kingfisher belong to?
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Brown-hooded Kingfisher eat?
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-hooded Kingfisher migrate?
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-hooded 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 Brown-hooded Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-hooded 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-hooded Kingfisher's range?
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 3.8 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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