The white-bellied kingfisher is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae that occurs in parts of equatorial west Africa. The first formal description of the species was by the British zoologist Louis Fraser in 1843 under the binomial name Halcyon leucogaster.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in lowland evergreen and swamp forests from parts of West Africa east into Central Africa. It favors narrow, shaded forest streams, oxbows, and quiet backwaters with dense overhanging vegetation. Birds keep close to cover and rarely venture into open waterways. It can persist in selectively logged forest if riparian vegetation remains intact, but avoids heavily degraded areas.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny, forest-dwelling kingfisher, it keeps to shaded streams deep within West and Central African rainforests. It often sits low over the water, darting out to snatch prey with a quick plunge. Because it requires intact riparian forest, its presence can indicate healthy, undisturbed habitats. It is shy and easily overlooked despite its vivid blue upperparts.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats along shaded streams
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs holding linear territories along forest streams. Pairs nest in burrows excavated in earthen banks or root tangles near water. Both sexes likely share incubation and chick-rearing duties, keeping activity discreet within dense cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are sharp, high-pitched whistles and thin piping notes, often given in short series. Calls carry along streams but are brief and infrequent, aiding contact between mates in dense forest.
