SKY SCANNER
A family of stork-billed kingfishers can eat a mighty 100 fish a day
The stork-billed kingfisher impresses with its huge colourful beak and enormous appetite for fish.
During my first and only birding trip so far this year, when I visited Singapore in April, we spotted this bird right near the entrance of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It was perched up a tree with its back facing us. Like all photographers do, I prayed for the Stork- billed Kingfisher, as it is known, to turn its head so that I could see its eyes, form a connection and take a picture.
Within a minute, it did turn my way and how beautifully it did so, giving me different angles.
In my earlier article on the Collared Kingfisher, I wrote about how much I admire the kingfishers and this one, the stork- billed kingfisher, was one more of the 1000 or so existence that I have seen and likely to remember for a long time to come.
The stork- billed kingfisher ’s scientific name is Pelargopsis capensis and it is a tree kingfisher. It was perched upon a branch over a body of water, looking for prey.
The stork- billed kingfisher is a large bird, measuring 35 cm in length. The adult has a green back, blue wings and tail, and olive-brown head. Its underparts and neck are buff.
Its large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the stork- billed kingfisher is laboured and flapping, but direct. Both sexes look sim imilar.
There are 13 subspecies, differing mostly in plumage detail, but P. c. gigantea of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines has a white head, neck and underparts.
The call of this noisy kingfisher is a low and far reaching peer- por- por repeated ever y five second s or so, as we ll cackling ke-ke- ke- ke- ke- ke.
The stork- billed kingfisher lives in a variety of well- wooded habitats near lakes, rivers, or coasts. It perches quietly while seeking food, and is often inconspicuous despite its size. It is territorial and will chase away eagles and other large predators.
This species hunts fish, frogs, crabs, rodents and young birds. Like other kingfishers, it is able to hover above the water while searching for fish.
Their heavy body weight gives them enough power to swoop down fast on a fish that is close to the water surface.
An average family of six kingfishers eats up to 100 fish a day!
It is widely but sparsely distributed in tropical South Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia. This kingfisher is essentially resident throughout its range.
Adults dig their nests in river banks, decaying trees, or tree termite nests. A clutch of two to five round white eggs is typical.
The average lifespan of a kingfisher is just two years.
Despite that, it is under no threat of extinction. there are plenty of them about, and they are a pleasure to see.