About Corythornis cristatus (Pallas, 1764)
This species, the malachite kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with an overall length around 13 cm (5.1 in), with regional size variation: reference sizes are 14 cm in Southern Africa, and 12 cm in East Africa and Ethiopia. For adult individuals, the upperparts are generally bright metallic blue. The head has a short crest made of black and blue feathers, a trait that gives the species its scientific name. The face, cheeks, and underparts are rufous, with white patches on the throat and the sides of the rear neck. The bill is black in young birds and turns reddish-orange when the bird reaches adulthood, and the legs are bright red. Males and females are similar in appearance, while juvenile birds are just a duller version of adults. This species is commonly found in reeds and other aquatic vegetation near slow-moving water or ponds. It is distributed across most of Sub-Saharan Africa, absent only from the extremely arid areas of Somalia, Kenya, Namibia and Botswana. The malachite kingfisher's flight is rapid; its short, rounded wings beat rapidly, appearing as nothing more than a blur during flight. It typically flies low over the surface of water.
