Chocolate-backed Kingfisher vs Gray-headed Kingfisher

Halcyon badia compared with Halcyon leucocephala

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chocolate-backed Kingfisher	Gray-headed Kingfisher
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Coraciiformes (Coraciiformes)	Coraciiformes (Coraciiformes)
Family same	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Genus same	Halcyon	Halcyon
Species	Halcyon badia	Halcyon leucocephala

Evolutionary Relationship

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and Gray-headed Kingfisher share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Halcyon.

Conservation Status

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher

LC — Least Concern

Gray-headed Kingfisher

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chocolate-backed Kingfisher	Gray-headed Kingfisher
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Gray-headed Kingfisher

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher

The Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (Halcyon badia) is a medium-sized kingfisher in the family Alcedinidae, subfamily Halcyoninae, restricted to the lowland tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone and Ghana east to the Congo Basin. It is one of the forest-dwelling 'tree kingfishers' of the genus Halcyon, which hunt not in aquatic environments but in the dense forest interior, preying on large insects, small lizards, frogs, and other invertebrates taken from branches or the forest floor. The upper parts are a rich, warm chocolate-brown — giving the species its name — contrasting with a bright turquoise-blue rump and tail, and a white or pale buff underside. Like other forest kingfishers, it typically perches silently on a branch and drops onto prey detected from above. Nesting occurs in arboreal termite mounds or rotten tree cavities. The species is dependent on intact lowland rainforest and appears intolerant of heavily degraded or open habitats. The IUCN classifies it as Least Concern given its broad range across the Congo Basin, which still contains large areas of relatively intact forest. Long-term threats include deforestation for agriculture, logging, and charcoal production across its range, particularly in West Africa where forest cover has been severely reduced.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway