Giant Kingfisher

This is the fifth new kingfisher I saw in Uganda and doubles the number of kingfishers I've seen worldwide (ten). It is also a jump from the pygmy, the second smallest kingfisher in Africa, to the giant, the largest kingfisher in Africa. I saw one of them, along the Victoria Nile between Paraa and Murchison Falls in Murchison Falls NP. 

This is a male (note the red on the neck). 

This is an illustration of a female of the nominate ssp. maxima from Birds of the World. 

This is a male of the ssp. maxima from Birds of the World. Note the red on the neck which corresponds to the bird in my photo. 

It has a large shaggy crest, a large black bill, and fine white spots on black upperparts. The male has a reddish-chestnut breast and white underparts everywhere else, with dark barring on the flank.  The female has a white spotted breast and a reddish-chestnut belly. 

It feeds on crabs, fish and frogs caught from diving from a perch.