Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
- GenusHalcyon (Typical Woodland Kingfishers)
- SpeciesHalcyon leucocephala (Gray-headed Kingfisher)
The grey-headed kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) is a species of bird in the kingfisher family, Alcedinidae. It is found across large parts of Africa and southern Arabia, from Mauritania through Senegal and the Gambia, east to Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Oman and Saudi Arabia, and south all the way through to South Africa. It is also found in islands off the African coast such as the Cape Verde islands and Zanzibar. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-headed Kingfisher sighting in Nairobi National Park, based on 202 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Nairobi National Park
Striped Kingfisher
Halcyon chelicuti
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
Ispidina picta
Giant Kingfisher
Megaceryle maxima
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Merops oreobates
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Madagascar Bee-eater
Merops superciliosus
Broad-billed Roller
Eurystomus glaucurus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Gray-headed Kingfisher in Nairobi National Park?
About 16% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-headed Kingfisher sighting in Nairobi National Park, based on 202 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gray-headed Kingfisher in Nairobi National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Gray-headed Kingfisher in Nairobi National Park in our monthly data.