Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Giant Kingfisher

Megaceryle maxima (Pallas, 1769)

325 gWeight

The giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, other than the arid southwest.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Giant Kingfisher has been recorded at 410 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 35 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Lake NaivashaKenya395 records
  2. Ngare Sero Mountain LodgeTanzania326 records
  3. Campement de WassadouSenegal315 records
More places
  1. Okavango Delta – Xaro LodgeBotswana273 records
  2. Abuko NRGambia266 records
  3. Murchison Falls NP – Boat trip Paraa to Murchison FallsUganda254 records
  4. Lake DulutiTanzania242 records
  5. Drotsky's CabinsBotswana204 records
  6. Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa186 records
  7. Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya174 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaBotswanaGambiaUgandaTanzaniaZambiaNamibia

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 giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, other than the arid southwest.

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

Questions

How big is the Giant Kingfisher?

The Giant Kingfisher weighs around 325 g.

Where does the Giant Kingfisher live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Botswana.

When is the best time to see the Giant Kingfisher?

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

Is the Giant Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Giant Kingfisher as Least Concern.

What does the Giant Kingfisher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Giant Kingfisher in?

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

At a glance

Weight
325 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
197 mm
Tail
111 mm
Bill
93 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

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

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
Genus
Megaceryle

Other birds in the genus Megaceryle

Crested KingfisherCrested KingfisherMegaceryle lugubrisRinged KingfisherRinged KingfisherMegaceryle torquataBelted KingfisherBelted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyonGreen-backed KingfisherGreen-backed KingfisherActenoides monachusScaly-breasted KingfisherScaly-breasted KingfisherActenoides princepsMoustached KingfisherMoustached KingfisherActenoides bougainvilleiSpotted Wood KingfisherSpotted Wood KingfisherActenoides lindsayiBlue-capped KingfisherBlue-capped KingfisherActenoides hombroniRufous-collared KingfisherRufous-collared KingfisherActenoides concretusHook-billed KingfisherHook-billed KingfisherMelidora macrorrhina
Giant Kingfisher

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

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