African Pygmy-Kingfisher

Ispidina picta

Silhouette: Rachael Joakim · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
GenusIspidina (African Dwarf and Pygmy Kingfishers)
SpeciesIspidina picta (African Pygmy-Kingfisher)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Meru National Park

2 Verified sightings at Meru National Park From 2019 to 2026

2,579 Verified sightings across all 44 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the African Pygmy-Kingfisher

The African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina picta) is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats. The African pygmy kingfisher was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1780 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Todier de Juida in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées. The type locality is Saint Louis, Senegal. The African pygmy kingfisher is now placed in the genus Ispidina that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848.

The specific epithet picta is from the Latin pictus meaning "painted". Some texts refer to this species as Ceyx pictus. There are three subspecies: I. p. picta (Boddaert, 1783) — Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia, and south to Uganda

I. p. ferrugina Clancey, 1984 — Guinea... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Meru National Park

Halcyon leucocephala

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Halcyon chelicuti

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Megaceryle maxima

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Halcyon albiventris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Corythornis cristatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Coracias caudatus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Merops albicollis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Merops pusillus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Coracias garrulus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Coracias naevius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

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

← Back to Meru National Park

African Pygmy-Kingfisher

About the African Pygmy-Kingfisher

Recent sightings of African Pygmy-Kingfisher in Meru National Park

Closest Relatives at Meru National Park

Gray-headed Kingfisher

Striped Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

Lilac-breasted Roller

Whitethroated Bee-eater

Little Bee-eater

European Roller

European Bee-eater

Rufous-crowned Roller

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found