Striped Kingfisher
Halcyon chelicuti
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
- GenusHalcyon (Typical Woodland Kingfishers)
- SpeciesHalcyon chelicuti (Striped Kingfisher)
The striped kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti) is a species of bird in the tree kingfisher subfamily. It was first described by Edward, Lord Stanley, in Salt's Voyage to Abyssinia in 1814 as "Chelicut kingfisher" Alaudo Chelicuti. The genus name Halcyon comes from a bird in Greek legend generally associated with the kingfisher. There was an ancient belief that the halcyon nested on the sea, which it calmed in order to lay its eggs on a floating nest. The species' name chelicuti derives from Chelicut in Ethiopia, the location at which Stanley's type specimen was obtained. This is a highly territorial bird which will chase off not only others of the same species, but also shrikes, doves and rollers. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Kingfisher sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 228 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Tsavo East National Park
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Mangrove Kingfisher
Halcyon senegaloides
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
Ispidina picta
Giant Kingfisher
Megaceryle maxima
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Whitethroated Bee-eater
Merops albicollis
Northern Carmine Bee-eater
Merops nubicus
📅 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 Striped Kingfisher in Tsavo East National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Kingfisher sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 228 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Striped Kingfisher in Tsavo East National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Striped Kingfisher in Tsavo East National Park in our monthly data.