Photo: Greg Hume / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Halcyon malimbica
Blue-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon malimbica) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon malimbica) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 91.8 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 malimbica
Quick facts
- Weight
- 91.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-breasted 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 Blue-breasted Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon malimbica) belongs to the Alcedinidae family of the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF c, w.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 91.8 g, with a wing length of about 11.4 cm and a tail of around 7.9 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 4.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-breasted Kingfisher?
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 91.8 g.
Where does the Blue-breasted Kingfisher live?
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher is found across Africa with a range covering AF c, w, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue-breasted Kingfisher belong to?
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon malimbica) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Blue-breasted Kingfisher eat?
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-breasted Kingfisher migrate?
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-breasted 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 Blue-breasted Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-breasted Kingfisher can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-breasted Kingfisher's range?
The Blue-breasted Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 4.8 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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