Half-collared kingfisher
- Alcedo semitorquata
- IUCN Status: Least Concern
- Trend: decreasing
General Information
The half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata) is a kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae.
Description
The half-collared kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher. It has blue upperparts, a white throat and pale orange underparts. The head has alternating light blue and dark blue bands running across the crown and each side of the neck has a creamy white stripe. The dark blue patches on either side of the neck form a half collar. The legs and feet are red. The sexes are very similar but the bill of the male is entirely black while the female has some red at the base of the lower mandible.
Ecology and Behaviour
It is known to sometimes vocalize while approaching its nest, but the purpose or advantage of this behavior is unclear.
Diet
It feeds almost exclusively on fish and frequents streams, rivers and larger bodies of water with dense shoreline vegetation.
Conservation
It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as, ” Least Concern”.
Distribution and Habitat
The half-collared kingfisher can be found in southern and eastern Africa.
References
Share:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Coraciiformes
- Family: Alcedinidae
- Subfamily: Alcedininae
- Genus: Alcedo
- Weight: avg. 35 to 40 g
