For some collaborative posts, it appears to be troublesome to search out writers. For one on kingfishers, it isn’t. Unsurprising, given how spectacular a lot of them look.
Pied Kingfisher
I really like color in birds and kingfishers are a vibrant lot. However, I discover the Pied Kingfisher very natty in its black and white plumage. Not like most kingfishers, that are solitary besides within the breeding season, the Pied lives in household models and roosts collectively. I noticed an instance of that in 2006 once I noticed my lifer Pied Kingfisher in Israel. We had been visiting the Hulah wetlands. A Pied was searching over the water. Whereas it was hovering, one other Pied flew up and poked it. The primary hen shook it off and stored hovering. The second hen didn’t quit and moved in once more. It was like watching a bratty sibling pester a busy sibling. Lastly, the searching hen chased after the opposite one, which was the entire level of the sport. That entertaining interlude is why the Pied Kingfisher is my favourite member of the kingfisher household (Leslie Kinrys).
Stork-billed Kingfisher
There are a dozen species of kingfishers to be discovered on the sub-continent of India: the Stork-billed isn’t the most important (the Crested beats it by a mere 3cm), however it’s arguably probably the most spectacular. It’s not referred to as Stork-billed for nothing, for it has an enormous coral-red beak. So, too, does the Brown-winged Kingfisher, however the latter is restricted to a tiny space of east India and Bangladesh, whereas the Stork-billed Kingfisher ranges all the best way from the foothills of the Himalayas to Sri Lanka.
Regionally widespread, this hen favors deep-shaded lakes and slow-moving rivers and streams. Its liking for shady spots makes it a hen that’s difficult to see, as it’ll fish patiently for hours in the identical spot, so that you usually tend to hear it than see it. Its name is as loud and unsubtle because the hen itself, A Information to the Birds of India describes it as an “explosive, shrieking snigger”, which sums it up properly. My {photograph} was taken at Ranganathittu Chicken Sanctuary, a bird-filled 40-acre reserve a brief drive from the town of Mysore, within the southern Indian state of Karnataka. The sanctuary is a well-liked vacation spot so usually crowded with guests, however that implies that the birds are used to folks, making them unusually tame and approachable. I famous in my diary that I didn’t see another guests with binoculars, however the sanctuary was well-kept and litter-free, whereas the kingfisher took completely no discover of the crowds strolling previous (David Tomlinson).
Frequent Kingfisher
A day’s birding will be deemed a hit if a number of issues occur to me in the course of the day. Victory if I see all of the birds I need to see. This by no means occurs. Glory if I occur to discover a snake as a result of it means I’ve good bushcraft. Or, the last word expertise, the Nirvana for birders: I see a kingfisher. In my yard referred to as Europe meaning the Frequent Kingfisher.
The phrase “widespread” has been on the sharp finish of my wrath so I’ll restrict myself to explaining why I really like and adore this hen. Kingfishers are lovely, the iridescent blue of its again and the intense orange of its chest give the hen a jewel-like look, a turquoise gemstone with wings. It additionally whizzes previous whenever you least count on it. On a derelict shipyard, a sea salt packing plant, or in the course of a busy metropolis park: “weeet!!” and a blue flash. All you’re left with is the unmistakable impression of the hen and a contented grin in your face (Peter Penning).
Blue-winged Kookaburra
When my pal V advised me she noticed Laughing Kookaburras day-after-day whereas rising up in Melbourne, I didn’t fairly consider her, however I knew I wanted to hen Australia. Kookaburras are mythic birds, figures in a youngsters’s tune, snake killers and bringers of excellent luck, as a lot consultant of Australia as Koalas and Kangaroos, however weirder. What sort of kingfisher appears like a top-heavy super-billed cartoon character and seems like a cross between a deranged clown and a jackass? Members of genera Dacelo, that’s who.
There are 5 Kookaburra species, two of that are discovered principally in Australia: Laughing Kookaburra and Blue-winged Kookaburra. Laughing Kookaburra is widespread in jap mainland Australia; it has additionally been launched in southwest Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, reportedly to manage snakes. Blue-winged Kookaburras are primarily present in north Australia, with a small inhabitants in New Guinea. Not like water-based kingfishers, these terrestrial birds devour creatures massive and small, from damselflies, beetles, and spiders to frogs, lizards, snakes, and sometimes nestlings and small mammals.
The primary Kookaburra I ever noticed was this Blue-Winged Kookaburra in George Brown Darwin Botanical Gardens. It was sitting on high of a giant signal as if it owned the place, taking nice pleasure in welcoming us to the Prime Finish. Though I knew it was a kingfisher, its large head and calm chill, so totally different from the flighty Belted Kingfishers of North America, charmed me and satisfied me that the genus should have mystical origins. (And, certainly, they do make main appearances in Aboriginal tales and their identify is derived from the Wiradjuri phrase for them, Guuguubarra (Donna Schulman).
Laughing Kookaburra
Laughing Kookaburras gave the impression to be in each park and campground I birded in jap Australia. Pull as much as a nature reserve at daybreak, and there’s a Laughing Kookaburra on the doorway signal. Exit Centennial Park in Sydney after nightfall, and there’s a Laughing Kookaburra on a department over the gate. This photograph was taken at a small cemetery outdoors Sydney. Very applicable, I believed (the Australian flag, not the cemetery half).
The vocalization of the Laughing Kookaburra—it’s snigger–could sound ridiculous or eerie, relying on place, time, and temper. (Blue-winged Kookaburras have an identical vocalization, however deeper.) The decision was reportedly utilized in early Tarzan films to make viewers really feel like they had been in an unique place. In the event you’ve by no means heard a Kookaburra name, I extremely suggest you try the recordings on Xeno Canto. Ornithologically, we all know this can be a territorial vocalization (additionally used with variations for mating and household contact), however there’s folklore connected. One article says that whenever you hear a Kookaburra ‘snigger’ in the course of the day (which is uncommon) it means it’ll rain. Or that there’s a snake about. Or each! Largely the hen is alleged to be the bearer of excellent luck or new beginnings, since it’s heard at daybreak. This would possibly say one thing in regards to the Australian spirit as a result of Kookaburras name at daybreak and at nightfall, and consider me, you actually don’t need to hear a Kookaburra ‘snigger’ at evening whenever you’re strolling alone down a darkish, abandoned road (Donna Schulman).
Belted Kingfisher
The Belted Kingfisher is likely one of the few birds I’ve been capable of identify since childhood. An iconic a part of my Maine summers, they chatter wildly whereas flying throughout lakes, ponds, and rivers in pursuit of their subsequent fishy meal. Belted Kingfishers will be noticed throughout North America, ranging north into Canada and Alaska in the summertime and transferring so far as South America within the coldest months. Whereas their populations are estimated at round 1.8 million, they appear to be on the decline, and are in line with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology “delicate to disturbance…and will abandon territories if folks start frequenting the realm” (Erika Zambello).
Amazon Kingfisher
Panama is dwelling to 6 species of kingfishers, every a bit of jewel of colour and precision, constructed for all times alongside the waterways. Of those six, I’ve managed to identify three to this point: the Ringed, the Inexperienced, and the Amazon Kingfisher. Whereas all are fascinating in their very own manner, it’s the Amazon Kingfisher that has left the deepest impression on me, and never simply because it appears to get pleasure from taunting me with its elusiveness.
A few 12 months in the past, one among these vibrant birds determined to maneuver into my neighborhood. It selected a man-made freshwater lake inside our gated group as its area, which I think about should have appeared like prime actual property for a kingfisher, with loads of fish and few rivals. At first, this new resident was skittish to the intense. It had a large “circle of concern,” darting off on the mere trace of a human determine within the distance. With its eager eyesight, it simply outmaneuvered my makes an attempt to get even a blurry photograph. It was, fairly actually, protecting me on my toes.
For months, I attempted to outwit this hen. Each stroll across the lake was an train in persistence and stealth. Lastly, after three months, I captured a half-decent photograph. (Emphasis on “half.”) However one thing magical began taking place as time went on. The Amazon Kingfisher started to settle in, staking its declare on a selected perch that it used as each a lookout and a fishing launchpad. It grew extra accustomed to the people strolling by, even permitting me to strategy cautiously for a number of pictures.
What started as a irritating sport of hide-and-seek become one thing virtually… mutual. There was belief, no less than I wish to suppose so. It stopped fleeing at my strategy, content material to carry its perch whereas fixing me with its sharp, calculating gaze. I might watch because it skimmed the lake’s floor or dove with unbelievable precision to snag its subsequent meal.
Now, a 12 months and a half into this relationship (if one can name it that), seeing the Amazon Kingfisher has grow to be one thing I look ahead to. Each time I spot it, whether or not on its perch or zipping over the water, I really feel a way of connection that goes past mere birdwatching.
However as life goes on, change is on the horizon. Quickly, I’ll be transferring to the town full-time, abandoning this quiet oasis and its feathered guardian. Whereas I look ahead to the thrill of metropolis life and its city birding alternatives with its many parks, I can’t assist however really feel a twinge of disappointment on the considered saying goodbye to this hen. Over time, it grew to become greater than only a photograph topic, it grew to become an emblem of persistence, persistence, and the quiet joys of nature.
Once I depart, I’ll carry with me not simply my pictures of this elegant kingfisher but additionally cherished reminiscences of our encounters. In a manner, it looks like abandoning a pal, one who speaks in flashes of inexperienced and orange, in ripples and dives (Fitzroy Rampersand).
Ringed Kingfisher
The commentary of Ringed Kingfishers as described by the eminent ornithologist Alexander F. Skutch was a “yogic train within the contemplation of nothingness” – a far cry from the current insta-exercise of noting discipline marks or clocking a harsh, rattling name to then announce with confidence: Ringed Kingfisher incoming!
I bear in mind in my very early days birding encountering a Ringed Kingfisher because it accelerated alongside a slingshot-driven trajectory via a gap within the foliage above a river, exploding into the empty house above an inland pond. I used to be fully enthusiastic about the chestnut underparts and pure white collar. For such a big hen, it was very skittish – and it took me a while earlier than I used to be capable of get a good sufficient view of the slate blue plumage that coated the remainder of the hen I hadn’t but seen. Regardless of its huge dimension, it nonetheless matches the invoice of a kingfisher, with an erect, proud crest and the always-wet look of a scene child from the 90’s (Faraaz Abdool).
Large Kingfisher
The best of nice kingfishers, the Large Kingfisher is totally deserving of its superlative-ridden identify. Utterly dwarfing virtually each different kingfisher on the planet, this huge beast is straight away distinctive in its sub-Saharan dwelling. Aside from its dimension, the Large Kingfisher’s distinctive coloration helps to cement it as an “unmistakable” hen. Or, as the sphere guides like to phrase it: “unlikely to be confused”, because the checklist of enormous, crested, and principally black kingfishers is unsurprisingly brief.
Though many African kingfishers are identified to feed on terrestrial creatures, the Large Kingfisher retains its desire for fish, supplementing its piscivorous methods with crabs and the occasional frog or toad. Younger kingfishers are fed with fish which are typically as much as 18cm lengthy. Apparently, the Large Kingfisher is ready to hone in on its goal from a lofty perch that may be a number of meters above the water’s floor. Humbling, particularly seeing that if I lean too far again I received’t be capable to see some particulars on my laptop computer display (Faraaz Abdool).
Woodland Kingfisher
The Woodland Kingfisher, as indicated by its identify, is a key consultant of the avifauna of sub-Saharan African woodlands. When birding in South Africa in spring, I all the time cherished listening to its distinctive trilling name asserting the return of this intra-African migrant. The birds unfold their wings when calling, displaying off their superb electric-blue again and wings. This was a second I all the time hoped to seize on digital camera, however sadly didn’t handle but (Luca Feuerriegel, photograph by Bernard Dupont).
Banded Kingfisher
The male Banded Kingfisher was absolutely the spotlight of a visit to Southern Vietnam, despite the fact that this location additionally provided a number of lovely pittas. I assume partly that was as a result of despite the fact that I briefly noticed the species on Borneo, I solely missed getting a photograph. What provides to the attraction is that aside from being completely lovely, it additionally has this bizarre behavior of continually pumping its crest. And because the female and male have very distinct colours, I’ve an excellent justification for displaying two pictures – the male is the blue hen (Kai Pflug).
Black-capped Kingfisher
There may be one kingfisher species that may simply be seen in Shanghai – the Frequent Kingfisher. There may be one which takes a bit extra effort and luck – the Pied Kingfisher. Each have already been described above. That leaves one that’s uncommon and arduous to see (and in addition listed as Susceptible) – the Black-capped Kingfisher. And it’s even tougher to get a good photograph, because the hen takes a dim view on being approached by people. I do too, typically, so I perceive (Kai Pflug).
Malachite Kingfisher
It was one of many Botswana Chicken Membership tenting weekends, this time by the banks of the Limpopo River. There wasn’t a lot water in it, a puddle right here and a pond there, in any other case the underside was principally dry – a lot in order that we walked throughout it, to test birds on the South African financial institution (ought to I add, I did it with out a passport or a visa). We had been strolling via Marico bushveld (a kind of savanna habitat) however, utilizing crutches, I used to be slowly falling behind, till I noticed a big tree trunk mendacity by the financial institution and ready for me to relaxation on it. By the alternative financial institution, beneath the protruding acacia roots, there was a puddle, and a Striated Heron trying straight down – I consider it was a lifer to me. However the subsequent hen definitively was a lifer! Just a few moments later a beautiful Malachite Kingfisher appeared, with its shiny pink beak, much more good-looking than my Frequent Kingfisher again dwelling. And I sat there having fun with my first Malachite King. 1 / 4 of a century older, I nonetheless do not forget that youthful scene. What have I performed with that quarter? Afraid of this factor that I’ve grow to be, I bless the rains down in Africa … (Dragan Simic).
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