Woodland Kingfisher Bird – Profile | Facts | Song | Call

woodland kingfisher

The Woodland Kingfisher, scientific name Halcyon senegalensis is a small chicken with stunningly vibrant plumage. A woodland kingfisher has very shiny blue feathers on its breast, wing panels, and tail, with black shoulders and a white stomach.

Woodland kingfisher facts

In this article, I am going to discuss woodland kingfisher bird, call, migration, facts, South Africa, female, song, etc.

It’s distinguishable from the equally colored Mangrove Kingfisher, by its crimson higher and black decrease mandible. The Mangrove species’ bill is all crimson.

This stunning chicken is an intra-African migrant. It may be discovered from simply north of Pretoria in Gauteng, to the south of the Sahara desert, migrating up by way of Africa within the dry season. In South Africa, it’s mostly present in Acacia thornveld.

Opposite to their names, nearly all of the kingfishers don’t truly fish for his or her meals, with the Woodlands Kingfisher forming a part of the non-fishing group.

Fish are seldom a part of Woodland’s food regimen. It prefers to hunt its prey from low tree branches away from water, swooping all the way down to catch bugs on the bottom.

Whereas the riverine kingfishers are inclined to nest in burrows in riverbanks, this species nests in deserted woodpecker or barbet tree holes.

Throughout courtship each female and male might be seen perched on a department with wings outstretched, displaying their shiny colors.

The feminine lays 2 to Four eggs which hatch after about 2 weeks. Each mother and father feed the chicks.

At Sabi Sabi, the Woodland Kingfisher name is the primary welcome sign of the return of the summer season, and it’s typically the primary migrant chicken to return.

The males might be heard calling continually as quickly as they arrive again into the bushveld, persevering with till the tip of the breeding season.

The decision may be very distinctive and unmistakable, starting with one sharp, loud, excessive word, adopted by a repetition of trills that progressively descend, lastly fading away.

Woodland kingfisher  Distribution

The woodland kingfisher is broadly distributed in tropical Africa south of the Sahara and from Pretoria northwards.

This woodland kingfisher is basically resident inside 8° of the equator, however northern and southern populations are migratory, transferring into the equatorial zone within the dry season.

Though it’s a “kingfisher”, it prefers drier habitats in additional conventional woodland and might be removed from the water. It’s typically solitary however can happen in small teams.

Woodland Kingfishers principally migrate at night time.

Though it’s a “kingfisher”, it prefers drier habitats in additional conventional woodland and might be removed from the water. It’s typically solitary however can happen in small teams.

The Woodland Kingfisher is broadly distributed in tropical Africa south of the Sahara and from Pretoria northwards.

This kingfisher is basically resident inside 8° of the equator, however northern and southern populations are migratory, transferring into the equatorial zone within the dry season.

It’s a widespread species of quite a lot of wooded habitats with some bushes, particularly Acacias, together with round human habitation.

Though it’s a “kingfisher”, it prefers drier habitats in additional conventional woodland and might be removed from the water. It’s typically solitary however can happen in small teams.

Woodland Kingfishers principally migrate at night time.

Description

It is a medium-sized kingfisher, 23 cm (9.1 in) in size. The grownup has a shiny blue again, wing panel, and tail.

Its head, neck, and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black. The flight of the woodland kingfisher is speedy and direct.

The big bill has a crimson higher mandible and a black decrease mandible. The legs and toes are darkish grays.

Some birds might have greyish heads, inflicting confusion with mangrove kingfisher.

It is a medium-sized kingfisher, 20 – 24 cm in size and weight between 54 – 81g.

The grownup has a shiny blue again, wing panel, and tail. Its head, neck, and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black.

The big bill has a red higher mandible and a black decrease mandible. The legs are shiny crimson. Some birds might have greyish heads, inflicting confusion with Mangrove Kingfisher.

woodland kingfisher

The sexes look alike. Juveniles are duller than adults; they’re narrowly barred on the edges of the underparts, and so they have a dusky-brown bill.

The decision of this noisy kingfisher is a loud trill sounding like a nail run down the enamel of a comb.

It is a medium-sized kingfisher, 20 – 24 cm in size, and weighs between 54 – 81g.

The grownup has a shiny blue again, wing panel, and tail. Its head, neck, and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black.

The big bill has a crimson higher mandible and a black decrease mandible. The legs are shiny crimson. Some birds might have greyish heads, inflicting confusion with Mangrove Kingfisher.

Nevertheless, the lores are darkish, making a darkish stripe by way of the attention (the stripe doesn’t prolong by way of the attention in Mangrove Kingfisher), and the underwing, primaries, and secondaries (shorter, higher “arm” feathers) are black with white underwing coverts (there’s a black carpal patch on the white coverts in Mangrove Kingfisher).

The inside webs of the bottom of the flight feathers are white, creating a vague white wingbar (white utterly absent from wings in Mangrove Kingfisher). The breast is white (tends to be a lot greyer in Mangrove Kingfisher).

The sexes look alike. Juveniles are duller than adults; they’re narrowly barred on the edges of the underparts; and so they have a dusky-brown bill.

Woodland Kingfisher Habits

The flight of the Woodland Kingfisher is speedy and direct.

The Woodland Kingfishers are aggressively territorial, attacking intruders – together with people.

Breeding / Nesting

Woodland Kingfishers migrate to Southern Africa from October to April to breed. The nest is a tree gap excavated by a woodpecker or barbet.

A single clutch of three spherical white eggs is typical. The younger are cared for by each mother and father for as much as 5 weeks after leaving the nest.

They breed from November to March within the Transvaal and November to January in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Through the breeding season, there are extremely vocal and really hanging shows whereas calling with outspread wings to indicate the white linings.

The nest is a tree gap excavated by a woodpecker or barbet. They could additionally nest beneath the eaves of a home or within the previous nest of Little Swifts.

The common clutch consists of 2-Four shiny white eggs. These eggs are incubated for 13 – 14 days. Each mother and father increase the chicks collectively. The younger fledge when they’re 15 – 22 days previous.

Name / Vocalization

The decision of this noisy kingfisher is a loud trill.

Behavior

The woodland kingfisher is aggressively territorial, attacking intruders together with people. It has a hanging show by which the wings unfold to indicate the white linings.

Woodland kingfisher Feeding

It hunts from an uncovered porch, typically on a useless department of a tree, or perches quietly in semi-shade whereas looking for meals.

The prey is especially all kinds of enormous bugs, but in addition different arthropods, snakes, fish, and frogs.

Fish, crabs, and birds are not often taken.

Not like most kingfishers, Woodland Kingfishers not often dive for fish.

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