Fun Brown-hooded Kingfisher Facts For Kids

Can you imagine living in a forest, close to vegetation in a land with the most number of deserts in the whole world? Well, the brown-hooded kingfisher not only thinks of it but lives in it!

This kingfisher is a carnivorous bird who lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. This bird lives in the small patches of woodland and shrubbery in the area, and its brown coloration is important for its survival in Africa.

This brown color blends in with the majority of the landscape in Africa, which is also sandy and brown. It allows them to shield themselves from predators but also catch prey efficiently.

It's easy to mix it up with the tiny striped kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti). The bill of the striped kingfisher is black with red, rather than all red such as the brown-hooded, and the abdomen has more noticeable stripes.

There is so much to know and learn about this amazing bird and its unique traits, and many others like it! Check out other birds like the common kingfisher and belted kingfisher for more interesting facts!

Brown-Hooded Kingfisher Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a brown-hooded kingfisher?

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) is a type of kingfisher. Like many other birds of the world, the kingfisher is a family of birds that live in woodlands.

What class of animal does a brown-hooded kingfisher belong to?

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) or Albiventris brown hooded kingfisher belong to the class of birds, Aves.

How many brown-hooded kingfishers are there in the world?

In southern Africa, there are 10 species, nine of which are found in the lowlands. They range in size from the tiny 4.7 in (12 cm) pygmy kingfisher to the massive 17.7 in (45 cm) giant kingfisher. Kingfishers like wooded places near water, although not all kingfishers fish!

Where does a brown-hooded kingfisher live?

The African bird brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) or Halcyon albiventris brown hooded lives in the woodland or wooded gardens or South African wetlands in pairs or solitary, similar to the red-breasted nuthatch species.

What is a brown-hooded kingfisher's habitat?

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) is found in Congo, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Somalia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. Halcyon albiventris brown hooded habitats include woodland, grassland with trees, scrubland, forest edge, crops, gardens, and parks under 5,900 ft (1,798.3 m) in altitude.

The Albiventris brown hooded kingfisher also likes a habitat near waterways and can adjust to suburban habitats.

Who does the brown-hooded kingfisher live with?

In the wild, the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) is mostly observed alone or in pairs. However, one can also find brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) birds from South Africa with a gray-brown barred head in flocks.

How long does a brown-hooded kingfisher live?

The estimated life range of the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird of South Africa is unknown, although the average lifespan of kingfisher species is 15 years. In the wild, the average nuthatch bird longevity is about two to three years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) lasts from September to April. Breeding pairs will usually construct the nest, a tunnel carved into the gully walls and utilized as their nesting place.

The nest is made up of a roughly a 3.3. ft (1 m) tube and leads to a chamber. After breeding, the family lives together for a few weeks. The female lays two to five, rarely six, eggs during the nesting period in the nest.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of this southern African bird, the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris), is Least Concern listed by IUCN Red List.

Brown-Hooded Kingfisher Fun Facts

What does a brown-hooded kingfisher look like?

In sub-equatorial southern Africa, the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird is an abundant kingfisher species. The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) species belongs to the tree kingfisher subfamily, which consists of kingfishers that rarely fish and are not reliant on large bodies of water.

The eyes are deep brown, the legs appear carmine, and the bill is red with a brown tip.

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) has a dark to grayish-brown head, and striped flanks set it apart from similar species. The female species has darker brown upperparts and more striped underparts than the male species. The underparts of the immature bird are scalloped and pale. Shade and striping differ between the subspecies.

How cute are they?

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird is one of the most amazing creatures of South Africa. These birds are charming enough to steal hearts with their stunning reddish-colored bill, gray-brown striped head, and attractive structure!

How do they communicate?

Although the kingfisher lacks a song, the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) does have a characteristic flight sound, a piercing whistle. When vibrating the feathers, a 'tiiu' or 'ki-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti' trill is produced by this brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird. Additionally, a piercing 'cheerit' is delivered when scared.

How big is a brown-hooded kingfisher?

The length range of brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird is about 8.7 in (22 cm). The belted kingfisher bird length measures between 11-13.8 in (28-35 cm). The brown-hooded kingfisher bird is smaller than the belted kingfisher bird.

How fast can a brown-hooded kingfisher fly?

Like many other birds of the world, brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) birds have only one speed, rapid and straight, however when fishing, they can hover. Compared to this, when on a chase, the African lanner falcon bird can travel at speeds up to 89.4 mph (143.8 kph).

How much does a brown-hooded kingfisher weigh?

The average weight of this African species of brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) found in African woodland is approximately 2.11 oz (59.8 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Although there is no specific name for a male and female bird, much like many other birds of the world, males can be called brown-hooded kingfisher male birds, and females may be described as brown-hooded kingfisher female birds.

What would you call a baby brown-hooded kingfisher?

The young birds of the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) species with a streaked head and in Afrikaans called Bruinkopvisvanger, do not have any special name.

What do they eat?

Like many other birds of the world, this bird is a carnivorous creature. The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) primarily feeds insects and forages on the floor and tree trunk.

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) eats insects, bees, locusts, small reptiles, spiders, amphibians, wasps, and smaller birds, among other things in their diet. There have been reports of lizards and snakes as long as 9.8 in (24.8 cm) being eaten. The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) hunts from a ledge and frequently dives for its prey.

Surface measuring and diving for prey in the water are used by brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) birds to hunt for fish and aquatic creatures. The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird has a specifically designed bill that aids in the hunting of fish, shrimp, crabs, and other aquatic species.

Are they dangerous?

The African bird brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris), belonging to the tree kingfisher subfamily that grazes on the tree trunk, is not dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

The brown-hooded kingfisher bird found in South Africa and Botswana are not suitable as pets. They are predatory creatures, and training them is quite difficult. As a result, having one is banned in several states.

Did you know...

Large heads, sharp, long, pointed bills, small legs, and stubby tails are all features of kingfishers. The plumage of the majority of species of kingfishers is brilliant, with minor changes between the sexes. The majority of species are found only in woods and have a tropical distribution.

Although most brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) birds do not migrate, some locations indicate seasonal migration.

The common kingfisher requires as much food as its body weight every day to survive.

Do kingfishers eat wasps?

Yes, a brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) bird with grayish-brown striped head eat wasps in their diet.

How many eggs do brown-hooded kingfisher lay?

The brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) found in South Africa is a monogamous species, meaning it only has one spouse with whom it mates for the rest of its life. The white eggs are laid by the brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) female bird in batches of two to five and rarely six.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover!  For more relatable content, check out these ruby-throated hummingbird facts and yellow breasted chat facts for kids.

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