Newsletter / Blog
2012-08-12 The world’s largest Kingfisher?
The largest
kingfisher in the world is Giant Kingfisher.
Giant Kingfisher.
The Giant Kingfisher - Megaceryle maxima - is the largest Kingfisher in the world. It is
found across much of sub-Saharan Africa and is fairly common in South Africa.
Description
The Giant
Kingfisher has a long, large black bill, large crest and finely spotted white
and black upperparts. The male has a chestnut breast band and otherwise white
underparts with dark flank barring, and the female has a white-spotted black
breast band and chestnut belly.
Call
The call is a
loud wak wak wak.
Food
They feed mainly crabs,
with fish and frogs making up the rest of the diet. Prey is caught in the
typical kingfisher way by a dive from a perch.
Breeding
The breeding season
is normally between July to January. The nest is excavated by both sexes, into
a vertical sandbank close to the waterline. It consists of a long tunnel,
ending in a chamber. The female lays 3
to 5 eggs, which are incubated for 25 to 27 days by both sexes. The chicks are
fed mainly by the male every one to four hours and stay dependent on the
parents for between 56 to 60 days.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
This species has
an extremely large range and is fairly common in protected areas. The
population is suspected to be in decline owing to pesticide run-off from adjacent
farmland. It is shot as a pest at some trout hatcheries.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures
to create a tour for you or book on one of the following Aves Birding Tour/Safaris/Adventures scheduled tours to see these large
kingfishers: -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding
Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari /
Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour
/ Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Photographed by Peter Sievers
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