The first formal description of the grey-headed kingfisher was by the German zoologist Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller in 1776. He coined the binomial nameAlcedo leucocephala.[2][3] The current genusHalcyon was introduced by the English naturalist and artist William John Swainson in 1821.[4] The name of the genus is from the classical Greek alkuōn, a mythical bird, generally associated with the kingfisher. The specific epithet leucocephala is from the classical Greek leukos meaning "white" and -kephalos for "-headed".[5]
H. l. leucocephala (Statius Müller, PL, 1776) – Senegal and Gambia to northwest Somalia, north Tanzania and north DR Congo
H. l. semicaerulea (Gmelin, JF, 1788) – south Arabian Peninsula
H. l. hyacinthinaReichenow, 1900 – southeast Somalia to Tanzania
H. l. pallidiventrisCabanis, 1880 – south DR Congo to northwest Tanzania and south to north South Africa
DescriptionEdit
The sexes are similar. The adult of the nominate race H. l. leucocephala has a pale grey head, black mantle and back, bright blue rump, wings and tail, and chestnut underparts. Subspecies H. l. pallidiventris has a darker grey head and paler chestnut underparts but is otherwise similar. The beak is long, red and sharp. This bird grows to an average length of 21 cm (8.3 in). The song is a succession of notes, ascending, descending and then ascending again, becoming increasingly strident. The warning call is a series of sharp notes, "tchk, tchk, tchk, tchk".[7]
Distribution and habitatEdit
The grey-headed kingfisher is found in tropical and semi-tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its range includes Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[1] Its typical habitat is woodland, scrub and cultivated areas, up to altitudes of about 2,200 m (7,200 ft).[7]
EcologyEdit
A dry-country kingfisher of scrub and woodland, solitary or in pairs, often found near water, but unlike most kingfishers is not aquatic. Perches on a branch, unmoving for long periods while watching the ground for signs of insects or small lizards, bobbing head before diving on prey. In appearance very like the brown-hooded kingfisher but with a red rather than red and black bill and similar to the woodland kingfisher, but the woodland kingfisher lacks the chestnut belly and has greater coverage of cyan feathers on the back. Nests in holes in steep riverbanks and is aggressively protective of its nest by repeated dive-bombing of foraging monitor lizards. It is parasitised by the greater honeyguide. This species migrates at night and is often killed by flying into obstacles such as buildings, towers and powerlines.[8]
^ abBirdLife International (2016). "Halcyon leucocephala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22683255A92980798. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683255A92980798.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^Statius Müller, Philipp Ludwig (1789) [1776]. Vollständiges Natursystem Supplements- und Register-Band (in German). Nürnberg: Gabriel Nicholaus Raspe. p. 94.
^Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 197.
^Swainson, William John (1821). Zoological illustrations. Vol. 1. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; and W. Wood. Plate 27 text.
^Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 185, 223. ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers". World Bird List Version 7.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
^ abTerry Stevenson; John Fanshawe (2004). Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. A&C Black. pp. 222–224. ISBN978-0-7136-7347-0.
^Woodall, P.F. "Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
Further readingEdit
Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1985). "Halcyon leucocephala Grey-headed Kingfisher". Handbook of the birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume IV: Terns to Woodpeckers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 705–710. ISBN0-19-857507-6.
Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 149–152. ISBN978-0-7136-8028-7.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Halcyon leucocephala.
Wikispecies has information related to Halcyon leucocephala.
(Grey-hooded kingfisher =) Grey-headed kingfisher - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
October 23, 2023
grey, headed, kingfisher, grey, headed, kingfisher, halcyon, leucocephala, species, kingfisher, that, wide, distribution, from, cape, verde, islands, north, west, coast, africa, mauritania, senegal, gambia, east, ethiopia, somalia, southern, arabia, south, sou. The grey headed kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala is a species of kingfisher that has a wide distribution from the Cape Verde Islands off the north west coast of Africa to Mauritania Senegal and Gambia east to Ethiopia Somalia and southern Arabia and south to South Africa Grey headed kingfisher source source Calls recorded in the SamburuNational Reserve KenyaConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClade DinosauriaClass AvesOrder CoraciiformesFamily AlcedinidaeSubfamily HalcyoninaeGenus HalcyonSpecies H leucocephalaBinomial nameHalcyon leucocephala Statius Muller 1776 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Ecology 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksTaxonomy EditThe first formal description of the grey headed kingfisher was by the German zoologist Philipp Ludwig Statius Muller in 1776 He coined the binomial name Alcedo leucocephala 2 3 The current genus Halcyon was introduced by the English naturalist and artist William John Swainson in 1821 4 The name of the genus is from the classical Greek alkuōn a mythical bird generally associated with the kingfisher The specific epithet leucocephala is from the classical Greek leukos meaning white and kephalos for headed 5 Five subspecies are recognised 6 H l acteon Lesson R 1830 Cape Verde Islands H l leucocephala Statius Muller PL 1776 Senegal and Gambia to northwest Somalia north Tanzania and north DR Congo H l semicaerulea Gmelin JF 1788 south Arabian Peninsula H l hyacinthina Reichenow 1900 southeast Somalia to Tanzania H l pallidiventris Cabanis 1880 south DR Congo to northwest Tanzania and south to north South AfricaDescription EditThe sexes are similar The adult of the nominate race H l leucocephala has a pale grey head black mantle and back bright blue rump wings and tail and chestnut underparts Subspecies H l pallidiventris has a darker grey head and paler chestnut underparts but is otherwise similar The beak is long red and sharp This bird grows to an average length of 21 cm 8 3 in The song is a succession of notes ascending descending and then ascending again becoming increasingly strident The warning call is a series of sharp notes tchk tchk tchk tchk 7 Distribution and habitat EditThe grey headed kingfisher is found in tropical and semi tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula Its range includes Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Djibouti Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Iran Ivory Coast Kenya Liberia Malawi Mali Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Oman Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Uganda Yemen Zambia and Zimbabwe 1 Its typical habitat is woodland scrub and cultivated areas up to altitudes of about 2 200 m 7 200 ft 7 Ecology EditA dry country kingfisher of scrub and woodland solitary or in pairs often found near water but unlike most kingfishers is not aquatic Perches on a branch unmoving for long periods while watching the ground for signs of insects or small lizards bobbing head before diving on prey In appearance very like the brown hooded kingfisher but with a red rather than red and black bill and similar to the woodland kingfisher but the woodland kingfisher lacks the chestnut belly and has greater coverage of cyan feathers on the back Nests in holes in steep riverbanks and is aggressively protective of its nest by repeated dive bombing of foraging monitor lizards It is parasitised by the greater honeyguide This species migrates at night and is often killed by flying into obstacles such as buildings towers and powerlines 8 nbsp Grey headed kingfisher in Akagera National Park Rwanda nbsp Two eggs of Halcyon leucocephalaReferences Edit a b BirdLife International 2016 Halcyon leucocephala IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22683255A92980798 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22683255A92980798 en Retrieved 13 November 2021 Statius Muller Philipp Ludwig 1789 1776 Vollstandiges Natursystem Supplements und Register Band in German Nurnberg Gabriel Nicholaus Raspe p 94 Peters James Lee ed 1945 Check list of Birds of the World Vol 5 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press p 197 Swainson William John 1821 Zoological illustrations Vol 1 London Baldwin Cradock and Joy and W Wood Plate 27 text Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm pp 185 223 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 Gill Frank Donsker David eds 2017 Rollers ground rollers amp kingfishers World Bird List Version 7 2 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 28 May 2017 a b Terry Stevenson John Fanshawe 2004 Birds of East Africa Kenya Tanzania Uganda Rwanda Burundi A amp C Black pp 222 224 ISBN 978 0 7136 7347 0 Woodall P F Grey headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive Lynx Edicions Barcelona Retrieved 24 November 2016 Further reading EditCramp Stanley ed 1985 Halcyon leucocephala Grey headed Kingfisher Handbook of the birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa The Birds of the Western Palearctic Volume IV Terns to Woodpeckers Oxford Oxford University Press pp 705 710 ISBN 0 19 857507 6 Fry C Hilary Fry Kathie Harris Alan 1992 Kingfishers Bee eaters and Rollers London Christopher Helm pp 149 152 ISBN 978 0 7136 8028 7 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Halcyon leucocephala nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Halcyon leucocephala Grey hooded kingfisher Grey headed kingfisher Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Grey headed kingfisher amp oldid 1136605784, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
