Photo: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) — 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 Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 41.8 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 leucocephala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 41.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-headed 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 Grey-headed Kingfisher is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 41.8 g, with a wing length of about 10.2 cm and a tail of around 6.5 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 14.8 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-headed Kingfisher?
The Grey-headed Kingfisher is a small bird that weighs around 41.8 g.
Where does the Grey-headed Kingfisher live?
The Grey-headed Kingfisher is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-headed Kingfisher belong to?
The Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Grey-headed Kingfisher eat?
The Grey-headed Kingfisher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey-headed Kingfisher migrate?
The Grey-headed Kingfisher is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Grey-headed 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 Grey-headed Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-headed Kingfisher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey-headed Kingfisher's range?
The Grey-headed Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 14.8 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.
Explore more birds
More in Alcedinidae
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
More in Kingfishers & Rollers
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern