- Ispidina picta
Ceyx pictus
Identification
Length 12-13 cm,(4.72-5.12 inches) mass 11-19 g
A tiny kingfisher with rufous underparts and a blue back extending down to the tail.
Similar Species
The dark blue crown of the adult separates it from the African Dwarf Kingfisher.
The smaller size and violet wash on the ear coverts distinguish it from the similar Malachite Kingfisher.
Distribution
Widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa:
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, eSwatini
Taxonomy
There are three subspecies[1]:
- I. p. pictus
- Senegambia to Ethiopia, Uganda, southern Mozambique and Pemba Island
- I. p. ferrugina
- Rainforests of Sierra Leone to Congo Basin and western Uganda
- I. p. natalensis
- Angola to southern Mozambique and South Africa
Habitat
Woodland pools, moist forest and Bushveld.
Behaviour
Although it is generally found close to water it actually hunts terrestrial insects and not fish.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) African Pygmy Kingfisher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Pygmy_Kingfisher
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
