Woodland Kingfisher
Halcyon senegalensis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
- GenusHalcyon (Typical Woodland Kingfishers)
- SpeciesHalcyon senegalensis (Woodland Kingfisher)
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 →
Recent sightings of Woodland Kingfisher in Ruaha National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Ruaha National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Woodland Kingfisher in Ruaha National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Woodland Kingfisher sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 44 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Woodland Kingfisher in Ruaha National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Woodland Kingfisher in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.