Belted Kingfisher vs African Pygmy-kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon compared with Ispidina picta
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Belted Kingfisher | African Pygmy-kingfisher |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megaceryle alcyon | Ispidina picta |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae | Alcedinidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 10.5 cm (4.1 in) |
| Weight | 150.0 g (5.29 oz) | 12.6 g (0.44 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 3-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Belted Kingfisher only
African Pygmy-kingfisher only
Belted Kingfisher
Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastlines with clear water and suitable perches. Nests in burrows dug into earthen banks.
Song & Call Comparison
Belted Kingfisher
A loud, rattling 'klee-klee-klee-klee' — mechanical and penetrating. Given in flight along rivers. Also a harsh 'kekekek' near nest. Far louder than Common Kingfisher.
African Pygmy-kingfisher
Geographic Range & Migration
Belted Kingfisher
North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.
African Pygmy-kingfisher
Conservation Status
Belted Kingfisher
African Pygmy-kingfisher
How to Tell Them Apart
Belted Kingfisher
Blue-grey upperparts with a shaggy crest and a white collar. Males have a single blue-grey breast band; females have an additional rufous belly band.
Long, heavy, straight, dark dagger-like bill
African Pygmy-kingfisher
About These Birds
Belted Kingfisher
The belted kingfisher is unusual in that the female is more colorful than the male, sporting an additional rufous belly band. These noisy birds announce their territory with a distinctive rattling call. They excavate nesting burrows up to 2.4 meters deep into riverbanks using their heavy bills.
African Pygmy-kingfisher
The African Pygmy-kingfisher is a jewel-like bird of the Alcedinidae family, with a wingspan of only about 10 cm and a weight of 12–13 g. Found in forests and wooded areas across sub-Saharan Africa, it often hunts insects on the forest floor rather than fish.