Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (Halcyon badia)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher

Halcyon badia Verreaux, J & Verreaux, É, 1851

58 gWeight

The chocolate-backed kingfisher (Halcyon badia) is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, native to the African tropical rainforest.

Busiest months: January and November · Most records: Ghana, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher has been recorded at 56 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Budongo Forest Reserve – Royal MileUganda535 records
  2. Ankasa NPGhana303 records
  3. Atewa Range – upland forest & ridgeGhana234 records
More places
  1. Bosque Científica – Selva PrimariaEquatorial Guinea116 records
  2. Ankasa NP – entrance vicinityGhana77 records
  3. Ebekawopa (Abrafo) Forest ReserveGhana60 records
  4. Taï National ParkCôte d’Ivoire51 records
  5. Semuliki NP – Kirumya TrailUganda49 records
  6. Kakum NP – CanopyGhana48 records
  7. Kakum National ParkGhana45 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GhanaUgandaEquatorial GuineaGabonSierra LeoneCôte d’IvoireCameroonCentral African Republic

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 chocolate-backed kingfisher (Halcyon badia) is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, native to the African tropical rainforest.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher?

The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher weighs around 58 g.

Where does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Sierra Leone to Ghana, southern Nigeria to western South Sudan, Uganda and central DR Congo. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Uganda and Equatorial Guinea.

When is the best time to see the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher as Least Concern.

What does the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher in?

It belongs to the family Kingfishers (Alcedinidae), order Coraciiformes.

At a glance

Weight
58 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
92 mm
Tail
57 mm
Bill
41 mm
Tarsus
12 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Sierra Leone to Ghana, southern Nigeria to western South Sudan, Uganda and central DR Congo

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
Genus
Halcyon

Other birds in the genus Halcyon

Ruddy KingfisherRuddy KingfisherHalcyon coromandaWhite-throated KingfisherWhite-throated KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensisBrown-breasted KingfisherBrown-breasted KingfisherHalcyon gularisJavan KingfisherJavan KingfisherHalcyon cyanoventrisBlack-capped KingfisherBlack-capped KingfisherHalcyon pileataGrey-headed KingfisherGrey-headed KingfisherHalcyon leucocephalaBrown-hooded KingfisherBrown-hooded KingfisherHalcyon albiventrisStriped KingfisherStriped KingfisherHalcyon chelicutiBlue-breasted KingfisherBlue-breasted KingfisherHalcyon malimbicaWoodland KingfisherWoodland KingfisherHalcyon senegalensisMangrove KingfisherMangrove KingfisherHalcyon senegaloides
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nik Borrow. ↗

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