CreatureData

Half-collared kingfisher

Alcedo semitorquata Swainson, 1823

LCLeast Concernbirds

The half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata) is a species in the family Alcedinidae, order Coraciiformes. Recorded adults weigh 35 g to 47.3 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata)
Photo: David Siu from Memphis, TN · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the half-collared kingfisher

Weight
35 g – 47.3 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
wetlandsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
3.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Perchingsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the half-collared kingfisher live?

Not recorded

What is the half-collared kingfisher?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata) is a kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae that is found in southern and eastern Africa. It feeds almost exclusively on fish and frequents streams, rivers and larger bodies of water with dense shoreline vegetation.

The half-collared kingfisher was described by the English ornithologist William Swainson in 1823 and given its current binomial name Alcedo semitorquata. The word Alcedo is the Latin for a "kingfisher". The specific epithet semitorquata is from the Latin semi- for "half" or "small" and torquatus for "collared". The half-collared kingfisher is one of eight species in the genus Alcedo and is most closely related to the shining-blue kingfisher (Alcedo quadribrachys).

It is known to sometimes vocalize while approaching its nest, but the purpose or advantage of this behavior is unclear.

From the Wikipedia article “Half-collared kingfisher” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Half-collared_kingfisher&oldid=1358708302), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the half-collared kingfisher endangered?

The half-collared kingfisher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the half-collared kingfisher classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderCoraciiformes
  5. familyAlcedinidae
  6. genusAlcedo
  7. SpeciesAlcedo semitorquata Swainson, 1823

Synonyms Alcedo semitorquata heuglini, Alcedo semitorquata semitorquata, Alcedo semitorquata tephria

Other names and names in other languages (44)
  • HCKIEnglish
  • BlouvisvangerAfrikaans
  • GrootblouvisvangerAfrikaans
  • صياد السمك النصف مطوقArabic
  • الرفراف نصف بياقهEgyptian Arabic
  • blauet de mig collarCatalan
  • ledňáček límcovýCzech
  • ledňáček tyrkysovýCzech
  • pysgotwr hanner torchogWelsh
  • KraveisfuglDanish
  • KobalteisvogelGerman
  • Kobalt-EisvogelGerman
  • duonkoluma alcionoEsperanto
  • Martín pescador cobaltoSpanish
  • koobalt-jäälindEstonian
  • ماهیخورک نیمطوقدارPersian
  • koskikalastajaFinnish
  • Martin-pêcheur à demi-collierFrench
  • kobaltastoleđi vodomarCroatian
  • kobalt jégmadárHungarian
  • Martin pescatore bluItalian
  • Martin pescatore dal semicollareItalian
  • ハシグロカワセミJapanese
  • apykaklėtasis tulžysLithuanian
  • kobaltijsvogelDutch
  • koboltisfuglNorwegian
  • zimorodek turkusowyPolish
  • ادھے کالروالا مچھی مارWestern Panjabi
  • guarda-rios-cobaltoPortuguese
  • guarda-rios-de-colarPortuguese
  • pica-peixe-de-colarPortuguese
  • Кобальтовый зимородокRussian
  • Полуошейниковый зимородокRussian
  • rybárik tyrkysovýSlovak
  • turkizni vodomecSlovenian
  • Vodomar sa prekinutom ogrlicomSerbian
  • kragkungsfiskareSwedish
  • Yarım yakalı yalıçapkınıTurkish
  • Kobalt Mavisi YalıçapkınıTurkish
  • рибалочка кобальтовийUkrainian
  • Bồng chanh nửa cổVietnamese
  • 半領翠鳥Chinese
  • 半领翠鸟Chinese
  • isiXulaZulu

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the half-collared kingfisher

Other species in the same genus Alcedo.

CompareHalf-collared kingfisher vs Common kingfisherHalf-collared kingfisher vs Blue-eared kingfisherHalf-collared kingfisher vs Blyth's kingfisherHalf-collared kingfisher vs Javan blue-banded kingfisher

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the half-collared kingfisher?

An adult half-collared kingfisher weighs 35 g – 47.3 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the half-collared kingfisher endangered?

The half-collared kingfisher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the half-collared kingfisher?

The half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata) belongs to the family Alcedinidae in the order Coraciiformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/half-collared-kingfisher

MLA

“Half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/half-collared-kingfisher.

BibTeX
@misc{half_collared_kingfisher_2026,
  title = {Half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/half-collared-kingfisher},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}