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Birds
Giant kingfisher
Giant kingfisher · Megaceryle maxima
Africa’s largest kingfisher searches majestically for prey from its perches and reveals itself by its loud call on the water.
Fact file
- Size
- Up to 44 centimetres long, weight between 255 and 426 grams
- Males and females
- Male has a rusty-brown breast band, female has a rusty-coloured patch on the belly
- Sounds
- Loud, metallic-sounding screeching, often audible from afar
- Diet
- Mainly fish, crabs, frogs and aquatic insects
- Offspring
- Lays 2 to 5 eggs, breeds in self-dug nesting burrows in riverbanks
How to identify Giant kingfisher
The giant kingfisher is the largest kingfisher in Africa. Striking features are its massive, straight bill and the black-and-white plumage pattern with fine white speckles on the crown and wings. Males and females differ in the breast plumage: the male has a conspicuous rusty-brown breast band, while in the female this is visible only as a patch on the belly.
At around 44 centimetres in length and weighing sometimes more than 350 grams, the giant kingfisher is an imposing bird. The head is large and appears slightly tousled, and the silhouette is very distinctive because of the long bill. The wings are relatively short, and the tail is comparatively long.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 6 places where you can see Giant kingfisher
Where Giant kingfisher live
Namibia
South Africa
Discover Giant kingfisher on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
