Wildlife watch Here are seven facts about kingfishers
Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve Ranger Laura Preston would like to tell readers about a charismatic bird which is often spotted on the reserve. This time last year we were treated to regular sightings of the kingfisher here at the Falls of Clyde and this year is proving no different.
So, I thought you might like to know a little bit more about these amazing little birds, which is why I am sharing seven interesting facts about them.
1. Kingfishers eat mainly fish, chiefly minnows and sticklebacks, but they also take aquatic insects, freshwater shrimps and tadpoles.
2. They close their eyes as they dive into the water, so they are fishing blind! They bob their heads before diving, to accurately judge the depth of the fish.
3. Kingfisher courtship occurs in spring. The male will approach the female with a fish in his beak. He will hold it so that the head of the fish is facing outwards and attempt to feed it to the female. If he is unsuccessful he will simply eat the fish himself. He may have to repeat this feeding behaviour for some time before mating occurs.
4. A kingfisher pair dig a nest tunnel in vertical, sandy river banks. The nest chamber at the end has a slight depression to prevent eggs from rolling out, but no material is brought into the nest.
5. The first clutch of six or seven eggs is laid in late March or in early April. Each chick can eat 12-18 fish a day, meaning the adults may catch over 120 fish each day for their brood.
6. Chicks are fed in rotation. Once a chick is fed, it moves to the back of the nest to digest its meal, causing the others to move forward.
7. Once out of the nest, the young are fed for only four days before the adults drive them out of the territory to start the next brood. Two or three broods are often raised in a breeding season.
Kingfishers are about the same size as a starling. The best place to see them on the reserve is along the boardwalk – look out for a blue flash as it flies past!