
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Ispidina picta (Boddaert, 1783)
12 cmLength13 gWeight
The African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina picta) is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats.
Most records: Uganda, Ghana, Kenya
Where and when it's recorded
Most records: Uganda, Ghana, Kenya
African Pygmy Kingfisher has been recorded at 413 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 35 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda698 records
- Budongo Forest Reserve – Royal MileUganda591 records
- Bigodi SwampUganda299 records
More places
- Lake Kivu – Tchegera IslandCongo - Kinshasa298 records
- Ankasa NPGhana204 records
- Lake Mburo NPUganda202 records
- Abuko NRGambia189 records
- Mkhuze GRSouth Africa168 records
- Murchison Falls NP – North sideUganda147 records
- Nairobi NPKenya147 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina picta) is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the African Pygmy Kingfisher?
The African Pygmy Kingfisher is about 12 cm long and weighs around 13 g.
Where does the African Pygmy Kingfisher live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Ghana and Kenya.
Is the African Pygmy Kingfisher endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the African Pygmy Kingfisher as Least Concern.
What does the African Pygmy Kingfisher eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the African Pygmy Kingfisher in?
It belongs to the family Kingfishers (Alcedinidae), order Coraciiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 12 cm
- Weight
- 13 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 52 mm
- Tail
- 25 mm
- Bill
- 27 mm
- Tarsus
- 8 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Kingfishers Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Ispidina
Other birds in the genus Ispidina
African Dwarf KingfisherIspidina lecontei
Green-backed KingfisherActenoides monachus
Scaly-breasted KingfisherActenoides princeps
Moustached KingfisherActenoides bougainvillei
Spotted Wood KingfisherActenoides lindsayi
Blue-capped KingfisherActenoides hombroni
Rufous-collared KingfisherActenoides concretus
Hook-billed KingfisherMelidora macrorrhina
Banded KingfisherLacedo pulchella
Common Paradise KingfisherTanysiptera galatea
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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In other languages
- EnglishAfrican Pygmy Kingfisher
- 简体中文粉颊小翠鸟
- 繁體中文非洲紅頭三趾翠鳥
- 日本語ヒメショウビン
- DeutschNatalzwergfischer
- FrançaisMartin-pêcheur pygmée
- EspañolMartín pigmeo africano
- Portuguêsmartim-africano
- ItalianoMartin pescatore pigmeo africano
- NederlandsAfrikaanse Dwergijsvogel
- РусскийКрошечный зимородок
- Svenskapygmékungsfiskare
- DanskAfrikansk Dværgisfugl
- Polskizimorodek malutki