Ispidina picta
The African Pygmy Kingfisher is the smallest of the family occurring in South Africa – adults weigh only 15g! Despite their family name, Pygmy Kingfishers live mainly on insects, spiders and small reptiles and inhabit forests, woodland, savanna and thickets, often far removed from open water. They are shy, secretive and easily go unnoticed despite their colourful plumage.
During the breeding season, which spans the spring and summer months here in South Africa but may be year round in Africa’s equatorial zone, Pygmy Kingfishers form monogamous pairs, and both parents help to excavate the nesting chamber, up to 60cm deep, in vertical soil walls, termite mounds or the inside of animal burrows. Clutches consist of 3-6 eggs and are incubated by both parents for almost three weeks. The chicks grow quickly, leaving the nest when they’re between two and three weeks old and becoming independent soon afterwards.
These tiny winged jewels are summer visitors to our country, arriving from equatorial Africa around September and leaving again by March. While here they can be found along the eastern coast and adjacent interior and in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Their distribution range covers most of sub-Saharan Africa. The IUCN considers the species to be of least concern.
de Wets Wild 
Cute and lovely colour sparrow
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Their colours are brilliant indeed, Siva
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The really are exquisite. I enjoyed your photos. I had not been aware that these tiny birds migrate – even more incredible given their minute size!
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Thanks for another kind and generous contribution, Carol! Luckily for them they don’t travel as far as some of our other summer visitors do.
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Indeed. Those intercontinental bird migrations are proof that truth is stranger than fiction.
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Die mooiste kleure! Pragtige voeltjie Dries!
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Werklik klein geveerde juweeltjies!
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Great sillouette!
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Thank you, Robert
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always love a small bird with intricate beauty!
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They are very special, Rudi
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very rare too, I suppose?
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Actually they’re not rare at all, just so small and shy that they’re easily overlooked!
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at least it’s rare here in place ahaha
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That is one colorful little bird!
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Beautiful, isn’t it, John?
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What a gorgeous little fellow!💕
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I agree wholeheartedly, Lori
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What a charming and beautiful bird!!
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No doubt about it, Takami
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Your photographs show just how small this little kingfisher is – it is always a delight (and rather a surprise) to spot.
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That’s very true, Anne. Always a delight and usually a surprize.
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What a cutie.
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Isn’t it just!?
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Dries, I wanted to ask an unrelated question, but I hope you might know what has happened to the blogger, Haiku Out of Africa?
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Wish I could be of assistance but I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that particular blogger, Tracy. Perhaps she has a “contact” page on the blog that you could use to email her?
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Thanks, Dries. I will check.
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‘tiny winged jewels’–oh, absolutely! But 3-6 eggs seems like a lot for this little one!
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Little packets of dynamite to look after so many hungry mouths!
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That is the cutest little bird!
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We think so too, Deb
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What a beautifully colored little bird!
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In real life they’re even prettier!
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This kingfisher is so colorful! Little bird with a good appetite. Nice captures, D. 🙂
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Thanks, H.J. Indeed they’re very lively little birds and I suppose that means they need a lot of fuel to sustain themselves!
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What beautiful colors! Their eggs must be so tiny!!
jnaet
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