Pied Kingfisher
Pied KingfisherPied KingfisherPied KingfisherPied Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Gir National Park
16 Verified sightings at Gir National Park From 2019 to 2026
24,135 Verified sightings across all 73 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Pied Kingfisher

The pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it has five recognised subspecies, and is the only member of the genus Ceryle. Its black-and white-plumage and crest, as well as its habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish, make it distinctive. Males have a double band across the breast, while females have a single broken breast band. They are usually found in pairs or small family groups. When perched, they often bob their heads and flick up their tails.

The pied kingfisher was one of the many bird species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, who noted that it lived in Persia and Egypt. He named it Alcedo rudis. The German naturalist Friedrich Boie erected the genus Ceryle in 1828. The name is from classical Greek kērulos, an unidentified and probably mythical bird mentioned by Aristotle and other authors. The specific epithet rudis is Latin for "wild" or "rude".

The pied kingfisher is the only member of the genus Ceryle. Molecular analysis shows it is an early offshoot... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Gir National Park

White-throated Kingfisher
LC

White-throated Kingfisher

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Halcyon smyrnensis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Common Kingfisher
LC

Common Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alcedo atthis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Asian Green Bee-eater
LC Endemic

Asian Green Bee-eater

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Merops orientalis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Indian Roller
NT

Indian Roller

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Coracias benghalensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
LC

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Merops philippinus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~70%
2 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~70%
3 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~60%
4 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~60%
5 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
6 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~60%
7 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~50%
8 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~50%
9 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~50%
10 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
11 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~50%
12 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
13 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~50%
14 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
15 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
16 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
17 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~40%
18 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~40%
19 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~40%
20 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~40%
21 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~40%
22 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
23 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
24 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
25 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~30%
26 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
27 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~30%
28 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
29 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~30%
30 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
31 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
32 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~20%
33 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
34 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
35 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
36 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
37 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
38 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
39 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
40 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
41 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
42 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
43 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
44 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
45 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
46 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
47 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~10%
48 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
49 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
50 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
51 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
52 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
53 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
54 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
55 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
56 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
57 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
58 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
59 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
60 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
61 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
62 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
63 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
64 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
65 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
66 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
67 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
68 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
69 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
70 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
71 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
Insufficient data
72 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
73 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Pied Kingfisher in Gir National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pied Kingfisher sighting in Gir National Park, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Pied Kingfisher in Gir National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Pied Kingfisher in Gir National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Gir National Park