The Malagasy kingfisher or Madagascar kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is found in Madagascar, Mayotte and the Comoros. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Region
Western Indian Ocean islands
Typical Environment
Found across Madagascar, Mayotte, and the Comoros in habitats associated with water. It frequents mangrove forests, estuaries, tidal creeks, lagoons, and coastal wetlands. Inland, it uses slow-flowing rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and flooded rice fields with overhanging perches. It prefers clear or gently turbid waters with accessible banks for nesting. It tolerates human-modified wetlands where prey is abundant, provided perches and banks remain.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small kingfisher has two subspecies, with birds on the Comoros and Mayotte sometimes treated separately from those on Madagascar. It hunts by perching quietly over water and diving for prey with remarkable accuracy. Nests are burrows tunneled into sandy or earthen banks, where both adults share incubation duties. Although adaptable to rice paddies and mangroves, it can be affected by wetland degradation and mangrove loss.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over water
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs defending short stretches of shoreline or stream. During breeding, pairs excavate a horizontal tunnel in a riverbank or earthen wall, where they lay a small clutch of eggs. Both parents participate in incubation and chick provisioning.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are sharp, high-pitched whistles and thin piping notes, often given in flight. Calls carry well over water and are used for territory advertisement and contact. Song is not elaborate, consisting mainly of repeated, piercing chips.
