Giant Kingfisher
Giant KingfisherGiant KingfisherGiant KingfisherGiant Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Megaceryle maxima

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Table Mountain National Park
54 Verified sightings at Table Mountain National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,419 Verified sightings across all 46 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Giant Kingfisher

The giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, other than the arid southwest. The first formal description of the giant kingfisher was by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1769 under the binomial name Alcedo maxima. The current genus Megaceryle was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848.

There are two subspecies: M. m. maxima (Pallas, 1769) – Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia and south to South Africa M. m. gigantea (Swainson, 1837) – Liberia to northern Angola and western Tanzania, island of Bioko The nominate subspecies M. m. maxima occurs in wooded savanna while M. m. gigantea prefers tropical rainforest.

The giant kingfisher is 42–46 cm (16.5–18 in) long, with a large shaggy crest, a large black bill and fine white spots on black upperparts. The male has a chestnut breast band and otherwise white underparts with dark flank barring. The female has a white-spotted black breast band and a chestnut belly. The forest race M. m. gigantea is darker, less spotted above, and more barred below than the nominate... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park

Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Malachite Kingfisher
LC

Malachite Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corythornis cristatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Woodland Kingfisher
LC

Woodland Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon senegalensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Whitethroated Bee-eater
LC

Whitethroated Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops albicollis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
European Bee-eater
LC

European Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
European Roller
LC

European Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias garrulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
LC

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops persicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
White-fronted Bee-eater
LC

White-fronted Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops bullockoides

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Giant Kingfisher in Table Mountain National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Kingfisher sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 54 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Giant Kingfisher in Table Mountain National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Giant Kingfisher in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Table Mountain National Park