Megaceryle maxima
Africa’s biggest kingfisher, the Giant Kingfisher weighs in at about 360g and measure around 44cm in length. They feed mainly on crabs, fish (up to 18cm long!), frogs and other water-living creatures and are therefore almost always encountered at or near a source of water with adequate perches (natural or man-made) from which it can strike an attack. They seldom dive from a hovering position like many other kingfishers do. The prey is killed by repeatedly bashing it against the perch before it is swallowed.
Giant Kingfishers are monogamous and territorial, with each pair laying claim to a stretch of water up to 4km long. Pairs construct a tunnel of about 2 or 3m deep (extraordinarily up to 8m deep) into a sturdy river bank (this could take a week or even more), at the end of which a chamber is prepared for the pair to incubate the clutch of 3 – 5 eggs over a 4 week period. In South Africa Giant Kingfishers breed in spring and summer. The chicks stay in the nest for 5 – 6 weeks after hatching and remain dependent on their parents for at least another 3 weeks or so after leaving the nest.
In our country Giant Kingfishers may be found in all provinces, though in the Northern Cape they’re mainly restricted to the course of the Orange River and its tributaries. It further occurs over most of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting that vegetation type is not as important a habitat consideration for this species as is the presence of a reliable water source providing a sufficient food supply. The IUCN considers the Giant Kingfisher to be of least concern.
DeWetsWild 
You have some wonderful photos of these striking kingfishers. It is always exciting to see these charismatic kingfishers.
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Definitely a crowd pleaser!
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Pragtige foto’s! En vir ‘n verandering is ek bly om te kan se ek het al hierdie een in aksie gesien … ja, jy het reg geraai … teen die walle van die Oranje Rivier in die Richtersveld 😉. Daar was toevallig ‘n voel-kenner naby ons en hy was omtrent liries om die voel aan ons te beskryf.
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Dit klink na n heerlike herinnering, Corna!
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Beautiful photos, Dries. He’s a handsome bird for sure.
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Thank you, Sylvia! We’re always excited when we get to see them.
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Their colouring is so unusual, Dries.
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That’s true, Tracy – many other Kingfishers are far more brightly coloured.
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Dit lyk altyd na so ‘n op en wakker voël… wat seker so is, as jy vir jou prooi wag.
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Nou dat jy dit noem, Elsabe, moet ek saamstem dat hulle nogal altyd op hulle hoede lyk!
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Dis nou interessant! So jammer ons kry hulle nie hier nie!
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Volgens die SABAP2 word hulle maar net af-en-toe by Langebaan gesien, wat vir my baie interessant is aangesien hulle baie meer volop opgemerk word langs die bergstrome net so klein stukke meer die binneland in!
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Dalk sal hulle in die Weskus Nasionale Park by die Lagoon wees.
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As always, you have put together an interesting collection of photographs of this fascinating bird. I have enjoyed looking at all of them 🙂
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Very kind of you, Anne. Thank you very much.
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It is a beautiful bird.
Do you see them at all times or do you have to wait for a glimpse? Thank you.
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Thanks, Lakshmi. We see them fairly regularly when we are in the right habitat, along rivers and big dams for instance.
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Dankie dit was weer n insiggewende kompakte beskrywing. Die tonnel nes klink ook maat na n storie. Sal n slang nogal belangstel om eiers by te kom? Wonder maar net.
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Ek dink die plasing van die tonnel in n sandbank, gewoonlik ook nog oor die water, verhinder dat slange te maklik daar kan uitkom, maar as die slang die gat kan kry het ek geen twyfel dat die eiers en die kuikens in sy visier sal wees nie
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Such a pretty bird, but good gosh–what a way for its prey to die!
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They love their meat tenderised! 😀
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What interesting markings! In the one shot from the front it appears the bird is wearing a brown apron. 🙂
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Interestingly, the male has the brown “bib” while the female has the brown “apron”. More than that I am not going to say… 😉
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😁
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Compared to the regular size kingfisher, this one is really a giant! Nice post, D. Great pictures, D. and Joubert. 🙂
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They sure are impressively sized. Thanks, H.J!
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I loved the photos. Such a unique looking bird.
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Thank you very much – they have to take the credit for being willing to pose!
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