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Most feild guides just show it as a all red bill, making I.D compared to the striped easier...Brown-Hooded however does very often, if more times then not..have a dark tip to the bill.

Mangrove Kingfisher---Also hs this bill colouration, but has a grey, not brown head, nape and neck. A blue back and a grey breast..Distribution and Habitat preferences are critical for this species. And it's also more of a winterly seen bird! (Aquatic)

Woodland Kingfisher---Summer Visitor...Has a red upper bill, and black lower bill(Rarely and all red bill)...It's back, head, cheeks etc are blue, and is completely white below...not greyish as in Mangrove..(Non-Aqautic)

Grey-Hooded-----All red bill, grey head, nape and upper back, with the chestnut belly is diagnostic.(Non-Aquatic)

Striped Kingfisher------Has a dark upper bill, and red lower bill, a white collar and striped breast which is diagnostic (non-Aquatic)

Brown-Hooded Kingfisher-----Has a brown head, streaked dark, it has rufous patches to the sides of the head & breast(not always to prominant) and well streaked flanks...It has an all red bill(minus the dark tip) (non-aqautic)


Distribution & Plumage All go Brown-Hooded's way

Beautiful birds. Saw this one in Kruger. Have also seen 3 lately at Walter Sisulu.

Yolande, Keep a look out for any nesting activity in WSBG!! Might get some really good pics!!!!

Will do!!

Saw this one at Lower Sabie in October.

Lovely pic Granjan.

A bit off topic but still pretty funny,
my son, who is new into birding phoned me a few weeks back to tell me very excitedly that he had seen a Kingfisher in his garden, on enquiring which one it was, he said, you know, the normal one.
which going on the description fitted the Brown-Hooded variety.
So its now called the "normal" Kingfisher in our family.

Nice pic Granjan!

Thanks everyone for the super comments - I am chuffed.
This is a Brown-Hooded Kingfisher.

I saw this Brown-hooded Kingfisher at the Ntandanyathi hide between Lower-Sabie and Krokodil-Brug.





It is truly amazing what you can see from a hide that overlooks some water.

A beautiful pics Leeukos They are so pretty!

Seen at MZNP on 14 September 2011.

A Brown-hooded Kingfisher...

Kruger 2013