Kingfishers Photo Gallery by Richard Harris at pbase.com

Kingfishers

There are 9 species of kingfisher that can be seen in the Park - with 3 being summer visitors. They can be seen all over the Park, though 4 are only likely to be seen near water.
Some are very easy to see, others take a bit more effort (or luck!). In 33 years I have failed to see the African Pygmy kingfisher.

Much to some peoples surprise, not all kingfishers fish! Several are forest birds eating insects, lizards etc. So don't forget - a kingfisher shaped bird in a forest miles from water might actually be a kingfisher!

Size, colour and call are all important identifying kingfisher; the bill is especially important for some of the more confusing ones.
So the woodland's bill is red upper bill, black lower. The grey-headed is all red.
The brown-hooded is mostly red but with a blackish tip and base. The striped is black upper and red lower.

The call can be a helpful identifier. But the call of the woodland kingfisher is also one of the classics sounds of the Kruger Park between November and April.

Malachite kingfishers - adult red bill, juvenile black	Malachite kingfisher	Malachite kingfisher	Grey-headed kingfisher	Woodland kingfisher
Woodland kingfisher	Woodland kingfisher	Woodland kingfisher	Brown-hooded kingfisher	Brown-hooded kingfisher
Brown-hooded kingfisher	Striped kingfisher	Giant kingfisher - male	Giant kingfisher - female	Giant kingfisher - male
Giant kingfisher - juvenile	Pied kingfisher	Pied kingfisher	Pied kingfisher	Pied kingfisher

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