A bright and striking bird found across much of sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East, especially in dry woodlands, savannas, and river valleys. While many kingfishers are known for their relationship with water, the grey-headed kingfisher bucks the trend—it lives mostly away from rivers and lakes, and instead favors dry, open country, where it hunts not fish, but insects and small land animals.
This kingfisher gets its name from its distinctive pale grey head, which contrasts beautifully with its rich chestnut-brown belly and vivid turquoise-blue wings and tail. Its black bill (in both sexes) is strong and slightly curved, well-suited for catching and beating insect prey. When perched in the sunlight, its colorful feathers shimmer and make it look like a small jewel against the backdrop of dusty bushveld.
The grey-headed kingfisher is typically seen perched quietly on a low branch, wire, or fencepost, scanning the ground for prey. Its diet includes insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and termites, as well as small lizards, frogs, and occasionally even small rodents. Once it spots something, it swoops down quickly, grabs it in its bill, and usually returns to the perch to strike the prey against a hard surface before swallowing it.
Despite its vivid colors, this bird can be surprisingly discreet. It is often heard before it is seen, thanks to its shrill, high-pitched trilling call—a rising, excited “ti-ti-ti-ti-tiiip” sound, especially during the breeding season or territorial disputes. Pairs may call to each other or perform aerial chases to defend their territory.
Distribution
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Djibouti
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Oman
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
UAE
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
