This woodland species can be difficult to distinguish from the more common Gray-headed Kingfisher (H. leucocephala), but the overall brownish head with pale nuchal half-collar and warm buff underparts extending up onto the chest support Brown-hooded. This is probably an adult female with a brown, not black back. Immatures usually show more barring on the sides of the breast and streaking on the flanks.
Four subspecies are recognized. This is probably the coastal H. a.orientalis. However it is replaced by H. a. prentissgrayi just to the west at Arusha and the two may intergrade in this area. Orientalis usually has its crown unstreaked as in our bird.
Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA | hand-held (no adapter)