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Genus Halcyon
Brown-hooded Kingfisher - Male in tree
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher - The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is a species of bird in the Halcyonidae family. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda.
Striped Kingfisher - The genus name Halcyon comes from a bird in Greek legend generally associated with the kingfisher. There was an ancient belief that the halcyon nested on the sea, which it calmed in order to lay its eggs on a floating nest.
Ruddy Kingfisher - Reaching approximately 25cm, the Ruddy Kingfisher has a very large, bright red bill and equally red legs. The body is rust red, generally deepening to purple at the tail. There is little sexual dimorphism though some sources state that male birds are somewhat brighter in plumage.
Javan Kingfisher - Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Grey-headed Kingfisher - A dry-country kingfisher of scrub and woodland, solitary or in pairs, often found near water, but unlike most kingfishers is not aquatic. Perches on branch, unmoving for long periods while watching the ground for signs of insects or small lizards, bobbing head before diving on prey. In appearance very like the Woodland Kingfisher but with a red rather than red and black bill and similar to the Brown-hooded Kingfisher, but the Brown-hooded lacks the chestnut belly. Nests in holes in steep riverbanks and is aggressively protective of its nest by repeated dive-bombing of foraging Monitor lizards. It is parasitised by the Greater Honeyguide. This species migrates at night and is often killed by flying into obstacles such as buildings, towers and powerlines.
Blue-breasted Kingfisher - This is a large kingfisher, 25 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue head, back, wing panel and tail. Its underparts are white, but it has a blue breast band. The shoulders are black. The flight of the Blue-breasted Kingfisher is rapid and direct. The large bill has a red upper mandible and black lower mandible. The legs are bright red.
Black-capped Kingfisher - This is a large kingfisher, 28 cm in length. The adult has a purple-blue back, black head and shoulders, white neck collar and throat, and rufous underparts. The large bill and legs are bright red. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult. The call of this kingfisher is a cackling ki-ki-ki-ki-ki.
Woodland Kingfisher - This is a medium-sized kingfisher, 20-23 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wing panel and tail. Its head, neck and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black. The flight of the Woodland Kingfisher is rapid and direct. The large bill has a red upper mandible and black lower mandible. The legs are bright red. Some birds may have greyish heads, causing confusion with Mangrove Kingfisher.
White-throated Kingfisher - This is a large kingfisher, 28 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wings and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly are chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the White-throated Kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult.