UGANDA BIRD GUIDES
Malachite Kingfisher
a.k.a
Alcedo cristata

Planning a birding Safari at the end your next business trip to Africa...? Get ready to meet Malachite Kingfisher!

The Malachite Kingfisher is a river kingfisher and she's highly dependent on water. This Uganda bird is said to be closely related to the kingfisher species in Madagascar. A widely distributed bird and largely resident, except for seasonal climate-related movements. Malachite Kingfisher is an exquisite African counterpart to European Kingfisher, with blue back and wings and orange crest. This Uganda bird perches still on low reeds or twigs next to rivers and lakes; away from water, check against pinck cheeked but otherwise similar Pygmy Kingfisher.

In this section of the Birding Safari Guide we share with you information about Malachite Kingfisher Birds in Uganda in order to make your Bird watching tour to Africa even more captivating.

You will find information about:

• Where to find the Malachite Kingfisher Bird in Uganda
• How to Identify the Malachite Kingfisher Bird and
• Interesting facts about Malachite Kingfisher Birds.

Where to find the Malachite Kingfisher Bird in Uganda

In Africa, you will often find these birds in singles and pairs besides all types of water fringed with vegetation from sea-level to 3000m.

During your birding safari to Uganda, you will easily find these birds along the shores of lake victoria, at Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and at Mbamisa swamp.

How you will know that you've seen a Malachite Kingfisher Bird

You will see a small kingfisher about 12 cm long. The adult bird is blue above and rofous below with a slightly shaggy blue-green and black barred crown which extends down to the eye, and a bright red bill.

The sexes look alike but the young ones are duller than the adults.

You will identify the immature birds by thier shorter black bill, brownish-roufus underparts, and a whitish belly.

The flight of the malachite kingfisher is rapid; the short rounded wings whirring around until they appear as a mere blur.

You're likely to see this bird flying low over water.

Interesting Facts about Malachite Kingfisher Birds

The Malachite Kingfisher bird calls a short sharp rather unmusical chht, that may run on into a dry chitter.

This bird feeds on fish, insects (the aquatic insects) and crustaceans.

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