Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 23,300,000 km2 | |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | - | - | - |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 5.27 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be widespread and common in some areas (del Hoyo et al. 2001). The population is suspected to be in decline owing to pesticide run-off from adjacent farmland. It is shot as a pest at some trout hatcheries (del Hoyo et al. 2001).
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to pesticide run-off from adjacent farmland. It is shot as a pest at some trout hatcheries (del Hoyo et al. 2001).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | extant | native | yes | |||
| Benin | extant | native | yes | |||
| Botswana | extant | native | yes | |||
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | yes | |||
| Burundi | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cameroon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | yes | |||
| Chad | extant | native | yes | |||
| Congo | extant | native | yes | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | yes | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | yes | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Eritrea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Eswatini | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Gabon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Gambia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ghana | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guinea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kenya | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lesotho | extant | native | yes | |||
| Liberia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malawi | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mali | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mauritania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mozambique | extant | native | yes | |||
| Namibia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Niger | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nigeria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Rwanda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Senegal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Africa | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Tanzania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Togo | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uganda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Zambia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Swamp | suitable | resident |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | resident |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | resident |
| Savanna | Dry | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 2700 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/giant-kingfisher-megaceryle-maxima on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.