Striped Kingfisher

Overview

The striped kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti) is a highly territorial bird in the tree kingfisher subfamily, characterized by its large range and abundant population across Sub-Saharan Africa. It is recognized for its aggressive defence of extensive territories that can include up to 100 tall trees.

Identification

• Size: Averages 16 to 18 cm from beak to tail.
• Plumage: Perched adults are greyish brown on the upper body, with metallic blue lower back, tail, and secondaries; underparts are off-white with brown streaks on the sides and breast.
• Markings: Features a black line running through the eyes and around the back of the neck, situated above a white collar; the crown is streaked dark brown.
• Bill: Blackish on the upper side and at the tip, with a reddish-orange lower portion.
• Song: Emits a distinctive, high-pitched 'cheer-cherrrrrr' or a far-carrying 'KEW, kerrrrrrrrr' descending trill, often sung at dusk while opening the wings.

Habitat

Found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding dense forests near the Congo River, the Horn of Africa, the Namib Desert, and South Africa. It inhabits woodland, thorn scrub, dry bush, and open savanna, while avoiding intensively farmed land.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of grasshoppers and other large insects, with occasional small lizards, snakes, and rodents. It forages by swooping from a perch approximately 3 metres high to the ground, capturing prey up to ten times a minute, and returns to the perch to swallow it after beating larger items vigorously.

Did you know?

Grasshoppers delivered to chicks are presented head-first, mirroring the delivery style used by aquatic kingfishers for fish.