Corythornis cristatus
The Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus) is a jewel of African wetlands, renowned for its dazzling plumage and diminutive size. Averaging just 13 cm (5.1 inches) in length and weighing around 12-18 grams, it boasts a brilliant iridescent blue-green back and crown, often appearing malachite-green in certain light, contrasting sharply with its rusty-orange underparts. A striking white patch adorns its throat, and a short, upright crest of black-and-blue feathers adds to its distinctive ...
Found primarily along the vegetated banks of slow-moving freshwater bodies such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, and estuaries, typically at low to moderate elevations.
Feeds primarily on small fish (up to 5 cm long), aquatic insects, tadpoles, and small crustaceans, caught by spectacular plunge-diving from a perch.
Malachite Kingfishers are diurnal and predominantly solitary outside of the breeding season, perching patiently on low branches, reeds, or rocks over water. Their foraging strategy is a spectacular dive-hunt: after meticulously scanning the water, they plunge head-first with remarkable speed and ...
The Malachite Kingfisher boasts a vast distribution across Sub-Saharan Africa, making it one of the most widespread kingfisher species on the continent. Its breeding range spans from Senegal and Gambia in the west, eastward through the Sahel and Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia and Somalia, and...
Least Concern
- The Malachite Kingfisher is one of the smallest kingfishers found in Africa, often barely larger than a sparrow. - Its iridescent blue-green plumage is structural, meaning the color comes from the microscopic structure of its feathers, not from pigments, causing it to shimmer and change hue wit...