African pygmy kingfisher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids African pygmy kingfisher
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Ispidina
Species:	picta
Subspecies
(See text)
Synonyms
Ceyx pictus

The African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina picta) is a tiny, colorful bird. It's a type of kingfisher that mainly eats insects. You can find it in Africa, especially in woodland areas.

About the African Pygmy Kingfisher's Name

The African pygmy kingfisher got its scientific name, Ispidina picta, a long time ago. A Dutch scientist named Pieter Boddaert gave it this name in 1783. The word picta comes from Latin and means "painted," which fits this colorful bird!

This bird belongs to the genus Ispidina. Sometimes, you might see it called Ceyx pictus in older books.

Different Types of African Pygmy Kingfishers

There are three main types, or subspecies, of the African pygmy kingfisher:

• I. p. picta (Boddaert, 1783) — This type lives from Senegal and Gambia all the way to Ethiopia and south to Uganda.
• I. p. ferrugina Clancey, 1984 — You can find this one from Guinea-Bissau to western Uganda, and south to Angola, Zambia, and northern Tanzania.
• I. p. natalensis (Smith, A, 1832) — This type lives in the southern parts of Africa, from southern Angola to central Tanzania, and south to northern and eastern South Africa.

What Does the African Pygmy Kingfisher Look Like?

This kingfisher is very small, only about 12 cm (4.7 in) long. Both male and female birds look alike. They have bright rufous (reddish-brown) feathers on their bellies. Their backs, all the way to their tails, are a beautiful blue color.

Spotting the Differences

The adult bird has a dark blue crown (the top of its head). This helps tell it apart from the African dwarf kingfisher. It's also smaller than the malachite kingfisher and has a violet color near its ears.

The natalensis subspecies, found in the south, has lighter colored bellies. It also has a blue spot above a white patch near its ear. Young birds have less violet near their ears and a black beak instead of an orange one.

What Does It Sound Like?

When this bird flies, it makes a high-pitched sound. It sounds a bit like an insect, often described as "tsip-tsip."

Where Do African Pygmy Kingfishers Live?

The African pygmy kingfisher lives across most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It's a common bird in these areas. Some birds stay in one place all year, while others migrate within Africa.

You won't find them in the very dry parts of the horn of Africa or western Southern Africa. They like to live in woodland areas, savannas, and coastal forests. Unlike many other kingfishers, they don't always need to be near water. These birds are usually seen alone or in pairs. They are quite shy and hard to spot.

How Do African Pygmy Kingfishers Behave?

Building Nests and Raising Young

African pygmy kingfishers build their nests in burrows. Both the male and female birds dig these tunnels. They usually dig into sandy soil banks or into termite nests on the ground. These burrows can be between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in) long.

A female kingfisher lays four to six white eggs. Both parents work together to take care of the young birds. They can even have several groups of babies in one year!

What Do African Pygmy Kingfishers Eat?

The African pygmy kingfisher's diet is mostly insects. They enjoy eating grasshoppers, praying mantises, worms, crickets, dragonflies, cockroaches, and moths. Spiders are also a big part of their meals.

Sometimes, they even catch small geckos and lizards that are about their own length. They also eat small frogs and, very rarely, tiny crabs. These birds hunt from low branches. Once they catch their prey, they either crush it with their beak or hit it against their perch to kill it.

Traveling for the Seasons

The kingfishers from the southern parts of Africa travel north for the winter. They can go as far north as countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya. Scientists think they mostly migrate at night. Most of them leave their breeding areas in March and April. They then return in September or October.

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  Kenya

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  Uganda

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  I. p. ferrugina", Ghana