Grey-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
| Size: | 20 cm |
| Habitat: | Scrub and woodland, often near water |
| Feeding: | Insects and small reptiles |
The Grey-headed Kingfisher, also called the Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher, is not aquatic. The head and chest are pale grey and the belly is chestnut coloured. The upper wings are black and the tail and lower wings are bright blue. The beak is bright red. The sexes are similar.
It hunts from a perch, diving to catch its prey on the ground.
This is a common bird in the Cape Verde islands. During a recent visit to the island of Santiago there seemed to be a Grey-headed Kingfisher sitting on overhead wires around every corner of the roads.
This photo was taken in the Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
Click on any of the photographs on this site to see a larger image.
