Chocolate-backed kingfisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chocolate-backed kingfisher |
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The chocolate-backed kingfisher (Halcyon badia) is a beautiful bird found in parts of western Sub-Saharan Africa. Even though it's called a kingfisher, it doesn't usually live near water! This bird is known for its striking colors and interesting ways of finding food and building nests.
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What Does It Look Like?
The chocolate-backed kingfisher has a typical kingfisher shape. It's quite stocky, with dark colors on its back and pure white underneath. Its head and the back of its neck are very dark brown. The middle of its back is brownish-black, and the lower back is black.
Its rump, which is the area just above its tail, is a bright, shiny blue. The top part of its tail is black, and the tail itself is a pale blue. Its wings are dark, but they have a bright blue patch called a speculum. This patch is easy to spot when the bird flies.
From its throat all the way down to its belly, the bird is snowy white. There's a small blackish patch on its sides. The bright white underparts stand out clearly against its dark upper parts. When it flies, its bright blue rump and wing patches are very noticeable. Its beak is red or reddish-brown.
Young kingfishers look a lot like the adults. However, their chest might have a slightly wavy pattern. Also, their beak is blackish with an orange tip.
What Does It Sound Like?
The chocolate-backed kingfisher makes a harsh, screeching sound when it's alarmed. Its song starts with a very quiet "pee" sound. Then, it sings 12 to 17 long, clear, flute-like notes. These notes are spaced out evenly and can be heard from far away. The whole song lasts about 5 to 7 seconds. Sometimes, the last few notes might get quieter.
Where Does It Live?
The chocolate-backed kingfisher lives in the African tropical rainforest. You can find it in two main areas. One area is west of the Dahomey Gap, stretching from Sierra Leone to Ghana. The other area is from southern Nigeria east to the southern Central African Republic and western Uganda. It also lives south to the Kwango River in northern Angola. This kingfisher can also be found on the island of Bioko.
What Kind of Home Does It Like?
Unlike many other kingfishers, this bird does not live near water. Instead, the chocolate-backed kingfisher prefers to live in lowland rainforests. It can be found in both old, untouched forests and forests that are growing back after being disturbed.
How Does It Live?
The chocolate-backed kingfisher often sits quietly on high branches in trees. These trees usually overlook an open space or clearing in the forest. From its perch, it will fly out to catch insects in the air. It also drops down from its perch to grab prey from the ground.
These kingfishers have been seen attacking lines of driver ants. They might eat the ants themselves, or they might eat other insects that the ants scare out of hiding. Their diet mainly includes insects like grasshoppers and beetles. But they also eat many other small creatures without backbones, and even small lizards.
When it's time to build a nest, these kingfishers dig into the nests of termites. These termites build their homes high up in trees, often attached to vines or angled branches. The nests are usually about 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 feet) above the forest floor. The kingfishers dig a horizontal tunnel into the side of the termite nest. They can dig out a large part of the termite structure. The termites then seal off the area the birds have created. Sometimes, these kingfishers also use hanging ant nests for their homes.
