Woodland Kingfisher

POPULATION & DEMOGRAPHY: Intra-African br migrant¹⁹. Common, population in s Mozambique est > 2 000²². Age of first br probably 2 yr (Nigeria)¹¹. Migrating birds often killed by flying into buildings and lighted windows in built-up areas^11,18,21. Prey of African Goshawk¹¹.

MOVEMENTS & MIGRATIONS: Sedentary in Equatorial forests; migratory in subtropical savannas^7,11. Southern most breeders migrate furthest, with H. s. cyanoleuca occurring on passage in Lake Victoria basin and wintering as far north as s Sudan Apr-Sept^2,11. Migrates at night⁷, singly or in small, very loose groups¹¹. Present in s Africa in rainy season¹. Present in nw Botswana Nov-Apr, Zimbabwe Oct-Apr (but only a passage migrant on central plateau Nov, Apr), Gauteng Jan-Mar, KwaZulu-Natal Sept-Apr^7,8,11. Birds in n Botswana and Namibia may belong to different subpopulation to birds further east. Birds in n Botswana arrive ca 2 wk earlier than birds in se Botswana, latter forming part of ne S African population^7,17.

HABITAT: Wooded savannas; strongly associated with fresh water²⁰. Perhaps most common in man-altered habitats¹². Inhabits well-developed woodland, particularly tall riverine Acacia stands and Mopane Colophospermum mopane, especially where grass understorey heavily grazed. Usually avoids closed cover. In s Africa, particularly common in swamp-fringing woodlands of Okavango Delta, Botswana; also abundant in Limpopo R basin, S Africa⁷. Rare to common in miombo (Brachystegia) woodland²⁰. Also farmland, parks and large gardens¹¹. Needs trees with holes for br⁷; pair often attracted to large, solitary, leafy tree in otherwise open ground¹¹. From sea level to 1 500 m, less often up to 2 000 m¹¹, favouring altitudes < 1 000 m⁷.

Author:JK Turpie