Blue-breasted kingfisher

Halcyon malimbica

Photo by Manu Romero (MRP Animales)

Common name:
blue-breasted kingfisher (en); guarda-rios-de-peito-azul (pt); martin-chasseur à poitrine bleue (fr); alción pechiazul (es); zügelliest (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Uganda and Tanzania, northern D.R. Congo and northern Angola.

Size:
These birds are 20-30 cm long and weigh 65-95 g.

Habitat:
The blue-breasted kingfisher is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in mangroves, flooded grasslands, inland wetlands such as lakes, river and freshwater marshes, and nearby dry savannas and plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on large insects and other arthropods, frogs, fishes and also the fruits of oil palms.

Breeding:
Blue-breasted kingfishers can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They nest in holes excavated into arboreal termite nests, usually 6-10 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for 18-22 days. There is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as widespread and uncommon to common. The population is suspected to be declining locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction.