Fun Black-capped Kingfisher Facts For Kids

If you want to know about an interesting bird then look no further, the black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is one of the most fascinating tree kingfishers to read about. Based in Asia, these birds can be found near the sea coast or inland. The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is a resident of China, India, and Bangladesh, but the northern population of these birds are migratory and travel south for the winter to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Borneo, and Java. The diet of this bird consists of insects, crabs, and fish depending on its habitat. It perches conspicuously when it hunts for its prey and is rapid and direct. It normally hunts for crabs when it is at there is low tide.

To know more about some interesting birds, check out the green heron and the Australian pelican.

What type of animal is a black-capped kingfisher?

The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is a species of bird that is found in Asia. It is mainly found in India east to China, Korea, and parts of Malaysia in the southeast.

What class of animal does a black-capped kingfisher belong to?

The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is a species of kingfisher that belongs to the Aves or bird class of animals and Alcedinidae family.

How many black-capped kingfishers are there in the world?

The population of black-capped kingfishers (Halcyon pileata) has not been specified, but it is speculated that it is declining. The exact cause of this decline is unknown, but according to The IUCN Red List, it could be because of habitat destruction.

Where does a black-capped kingfisher live?

The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is known to be a species of bird that can live both inland and near coastal waters. They are mostly present in Asia, starting from India in the east to China, Korea, and Malaysia in Southeast Asia. The northern population of this species of kingfisher birds are migratory and will migrate to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Java for the winter.

What is a black-capped kingfisher's habitat?

The black-capped kingfisher habitat is pretty diverse. They can be found near the coast to inland wetlands. This species of kingfisher birds are also found in creeks, lagoons, rice fields, cultivated land, and coastal waters.

Who do black-capped kingfishers live with?

The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) can be very territorial and can chase away other kingfishers' species or birds from its feeding ground. They are considered to be solitary birds.

How long does a black-capped kingfisher live?

The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) lives for about four years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is from April to June according to the range of where this species is located. For example, in India, the breeding season of this bird is in April, whereas in Korea, it is in June. The male will try to sing from exposed perches of trees to impress the female, and it will also try and expose the white part of its plumage. Once the female has chosen her mate, both sexes will dig a tunnel in the ground for their eggs. A single clutch of four to five rounded white eggs is laid by the adult female. The chicks are taken care of by both sexes. Their incubation period and nesting period are unknown.

What is their conservation status?

 According to the IUCN Red List, the status of the Halcyon pileata (black-capped kingfisher) is in the Least Concern category.

What do black-capped kingfishers look like?

The Halcyon pileata (black-capped kingfisher) adult is purple-blue for the upper part of their body. They have a red bill, deep blue back, black head, and bright red feet. The range of colors that are present on this bird is what makes it so mesmerizing. The deep blue back, black head, and white-collar and throat are distinctive to this species. They have a long bill that is brightly colored like most kingfishers. Their flight feathers are black with white patches. They have dark brown eyes and they have a blue tail. The black-capped kingfisher wings size has not been measured. The description of the juvenile has been given as a duller version of feathers compared to an adult of this species. Its bill is also said to be a duller version and is brownish-orange in color. These birds have a single-clutch of four to five round white eggs. This species of kingfisher is mainly a resident of Asia, mainly India, China, and Korea, and not in any part of the world.

How cute are they?

They are very cute because of their long bill. According to many, this is what makes them cute. If you look at photos of them, you can see that they have a small body so the beak just makes it look like a cute and silly bird. They look quite cute in photos.

How do they communicate?

The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) mainly has a cackling 'ki-ki-ki' call which is high-pitched and loud. They make this cackling 'ki-ki-ki' call as it takes off from a tree.

How big is a black-capped kingfisher?

A black-capped kingfisher is 28- 31.5 cm (11.02-12.4 in). In comparison, the common kingfisher is slightly smaller at 17 cm (6.6 in).

How fast can a black-capped kingfisher fly?

The black-capped kingfisher can take off swiftly and are fast. There is inadequate data about the speed of their flight.

How much does a black-capped kingfisher weigh?

The range of weight for these birds is 2.3 -3.2 oz (67-91 g). This makes them significantly lighter than the belted kingfisher.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both males and females of this species have no distinct names.

What would you call a baby black-capped kingfisher?

The baby is called a juvenile.

What do they eat?

For the black-capped kingfisher diet, large insects are mainly the norm, but the coastal population hunts for crabs and fish. There are many times that it perches conspicuously to hunt for crabs and fish when it is a low tide to capture it. Their hunting style is rapid and direct and they are territorial about their feeding ground.

Are they poisonous?

There is no information regarding whether they are poisonous or not.

Would they make a good pet?

No, it would not be recommended that this species is kept as pets as they have their own hunting style and they are territorial. They are also solitary birds much like the solitary sandpiper and like to stay in their own territory as they become aggressive. They are best suited for the wild.

Did you know...

The old Latin name for the bird is Alcedo pileata, coined by Pieter Boddaert (1783). He had stated that these birds were native to China. The unique part of this bird is its black-colored head which makes it look like they have a cap and is different from other kingfishers, it is also how you can identify them. Their genus Halcyon, meaning 'kingfisher' has been derived from Greek mythology.

Their feathers are used in China to make handmade fans.

This species is most commonly seen in mangroves and coastal areas. This species has also been seen in the Andaman and Nicobar islands of the Indian region.

Do black-capped kingfishers migrate?

The northern population of this bird will migrate to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Java, and Borneo for the winter. Birds that are present in the coastal region of India do not migrate.

Are black-capped kingfishers endangered?

These birds are not endangered, but their population is declining because of habitat destruction.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our glossy ibis surprising facts and  Radjah shelduck surprising facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bird coloring pages.

Second image by Sumeet Moghe