LC
Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
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
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency low
Land-mass type Average mass 42 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 26,400,000 km2
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 20,400,000 km2
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend stable - suspected -
Generation length 3.17 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common to fairly common (del Hoyo et al. 2001). The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Angola extant native
Benin extant native
Botswana extant native
Burkina Faso extant native
Burundi extant native
Cameroon extant native
Cape Verde extant native
Central African Republic extant native
Chad extant native
Congo extant native
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native
Côte d'Ivoire extant native
Djibouti extant native
Eritrea extant native
Eswatini extant native
Ethiopia extant native
Gabon extant native
Gambia extant native
Ghana extant native
Guinea extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native
Kenya extant native
Liberia extant native
Malawi extant native
Mali extant native
Mauritania extant native
Mozambique extant native
Namibia extant native
Niger extant native
Nigeria extant native
Oman extant native yes
Rwanda extant native
Saudi Arabia extant native yes
Senegal extant native
Sierra Leone extant native
Somalia extant native
South Africa extant native
South Sudan extant native yes
Sudan extant native
Tanzania extant native
Togo extant native
Uganda extant native
United Arab Emirates extant vagrant yes
Yemen extant native yes yes
Zambia extant native
Zimbabwe extant native

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable non-breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Savanna Dry suitable non-breeding
Savanna Dry suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding
Altitude 0 - 2400 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grey-headed-kingfisher-halcyon-leucocephala 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.