GIANT KINGFISHER
Megaceryle maxima
isiVuba (Zulu) Reuse Visvanger (Afrikaans)
HABITAT
Found throughout the entire province of KwaZulu-Natal on rivers, estuaries, lakes, wooded
streams and the seashore.
TYPE
This is the largest of Africa`s kingfishers and is finely spotted white on black above and
with a chestnut chest and spotted black on white belly in the male with these last two colours
colours reversed in the female. The eyes are brown, the bill black and the legs and feet slatey
black.
BREEDING
They nest between August and January in KwaZulu-Natal, building a chamber at the end of a
long tunnel in a river bank or dam spillway. The chamber is lined with fish bones and crab
carapaces. They lay between 3 and 5 glossy white eggs.
FOOD
The food consists of fish, crab and frogs.
STATUS
An uncommon to locally common resident
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