Malawi: Majete NP – Kingfishers at Majete Reserve

We saw not one, not two, but four different kingfisher species at the Majete Reserve – Pied, Grey-headed, Brown-hooded, and Striped. Striped Kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti) is a small, terrestrial kingfisher with brown and white stripes, common in savannahs and woodlands, sometimes quite far from water. Similarly, Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) has brown head and back with pale blue wings and is usually found in dry woodlands, not always near water. On the other hand, Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is found exclusively near rivers, it has black-and-white plumage and displays hovering and plunging behavior while hunting. Finally, the most beautiful was Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) with distinctive grey head and chestnut-colored underparts. Unlike many other kingfishers, it feeds primarily on insects, small reptiles, and other terrestrial prey rather than fish – we saw him grab and beat and swallow a lizard!