Woodland Kingfisher
Woodland KingfisherWoodland KingfisherWoodland KingfisherWoodland Kingfisher

Woodland Kingfisher

Halcyon senegalensis

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
19 Verified sightings at iSimangaliso Wetland Park From 2019 to 2026
11,020 Verified sightings across all 38 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Woodland Kingfisher

The woodland kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis) is a tree kingfisher that is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. The Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus included the woodland kingfisher with the binomial name Alcedo senegalensis in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae which was published in 1766. Linnaeus based his formal description on "Le Grand Martin-Pescher du Sénégal" that the French naturalist Mathurin Jacques Brisson had described and illustrated in 1760. The current genus Halcyon was introduced by the English naturalist and artist William Swainson in 1821, with the woodland kingfisher as the type species.

Three subspecies are recognised: H. s. fuscopileus Reichenow, 1906 – Sierra Leone to south Nigeria and south to DR Congo and north Angola H. s. senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766) – Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia and north Tanzania

H. s. cyanoleuca (Vieillot, 1818) – south Angola and west Tanzania to South Africa This is a medium-sized kingfisher, 23 cm (9.1 in) in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wing panel and tail. Its head, neck and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black. The flight of the woodland kingfisher... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Brown-hooded Kingfisher
LC

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon albiventris

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Striped Kingfisher
LC

Striped Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon chelicuti

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Gray-headed Kingfisher
LC

Gray-headed Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon leucocephala

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Mangrove Kingfisher
LC

Mangrove Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon senegaloides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Malachite Kingfisher
LC

Malachite Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corythornis cristatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Giant Kingfisher
LC

Giant Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Megaceryle maxima

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
LC

African Pygmy-Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ispidina picta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Half-collared Kingfisher
LC

Half-collared Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alcedo semitorquata

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

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops persicus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Little Bee-eater
LC

Little Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops pusillus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
European Bee-eater
LC

European Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~70%
2 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~60%
3 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~50%
4 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~40%
5 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
6 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
7 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~30%
8 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~20%
9 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~20%
10 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
11 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
12 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
13 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
14 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
15 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
16 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
17 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~10%
18 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
19 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
20 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~10%
21 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
22 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
23 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
24 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
25 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
26 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
27 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
28 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
29 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
30 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
31 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
32 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
33 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
34 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
35 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
36 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
37 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
38 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Woodland Kingfisher in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Woodland Kingfisher sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Woodland Kingfisher in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Woodland Kingfisher in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.

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