Alcedo semitorquata

Alcedo semitorquata, Half-collared kingfisher, is a bird belonging to the class Ornithae, order, family Kingfisher, and genus Kingfisher.

Semi-collared kingfishers are solitary and usually live alone on branches or rocks near the water, hunting for food, mainly Nile herring, crabs, frogs, and insects, and even catching butterflies in flight. He sits and waits for a long time to catch the bass, and when he spots a fish, he dives after it. When a kingfisher plunges into the water, it can also maintain excellent vision because its eyes can quickly adjust the contrast in the Angle of view caused by the light in the water. So the fishing ability is very strong.

Semi-collared kingfishers generally nest on river banks, the size of the nest and the behavior of the adult bird is very similar to that of the common kingfisher, usually digging vertical burrows in the bank, and the nest overhangs plants to conceal the opening. The entrance is not very high, so some birds often drown in the rising water. Usually 3-4 eggs are laid, and both sexes hatch together. But only the females feed the chicks. The young may stay in the nest for about 27 days and soon be able to fly. Egg laying varies from region to region: from January to May and October in Tanzania, from July to March in Zimbabwe and from September to October in Zambia.

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Semi-collared kingfishers are found in south-central Africa (including southern Arabia, south of the Sahara Desert (Tropic of Cancer) in Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya).
The semi-collared kingfisher is common but rare, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Southern Africa, Zimbabwe and South Africa, it is the most common bird. It inhabits rivers, streams and estuaries.

The half-collared kingfisher is 18cm long and weighs 35-40g. The adult bird has many distinctive features: a black eye, a white or pale yellow stripe above, and a half-circle of cream markings on the side of the neck, resembling a half-collar. The crown is striped black and bright cobalt blue, with gray and green markings on the forehead and a bright blue neck. The nape, back and tail have a brilliant cobalt blue hue, and the tail has a purple sheen. The wings are dark blue, the shoulder blades blue-green. Chin yellow, throat white. The rest of the lower body is ochre. Large dark blue spots on both breasts. The mouth is black, the irises dark brown, and the legs red. The female bird is very similar to the male, except for the small red spots on the underside of the mandible that males have. The juvenile birds have darker body feathers than the adults. The breast feathers have dark stripes, and the subadult legs are dark red.
Mouth thick straight, long and firm, mouth ridge round; No