The Grey-Headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) is a tropical sub-Saharan African bird.

The Grey-Headed Kingfisher has a pale grey head, black back feathers, and bright blue tail feathers and wing tips. Its underbelly is grey and chestnut. Its long beak is red.

Grey-Headed Kingfisher

It can grow to an average length of 21 centimetres (8.3 inches).

Its typical habitats are woodlands, scrub and cultivated areas near slow-moving water, where it feeds on fish and insects. It is solitary or found in pairs.

The male and female Grey-Headed Kingfisher make their nest, which is a tunnel in a sandy riverbank. Females lay 3-6 round, white eggs.

Grey-Headed Kingfisher

Grey-Headed Kingfisher

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM