- Alcedo semitorquata
Identification
Length 18 cm (7 in), 35-40 g.
Bill black, back and rump brilliant blue. The throat and chin are white, and there is a whitish mark on the side of the neck; the breast and belly are orange.
Similar Species
Similar to the Shining-blue Kingfisher, but the breast and upper parts are paler, and the latter has a rufous loral spot.
Distribution
Southern and eastern Africa:
Western Africa: Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: [[Namibia], Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Alcedo semitorquata has three subspecies:[1]
- A. s. heuglini
- A. s. semitorquata
- Southern Mozambique and South Africa
- A. s. tephria
- Angola to Tanzania and Mozambique
Habitat
Near water; usually narrow streams and rivers fringed by dense vegetation.
Behaviour
Solitary or in pairs; generally inconspicuous. Flight is fast and direct.
Diet
Diet is mainly fish; also eats crabs and insects.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Half-collared Kingfisher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Half-collared_Kingfisher
