Pied Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis

Photo by wim de groot
Location: Gambia

Identification

The Pied Kingfisher is estimated to be the world's third commonest kingfisher, and is a noisy bird, unmissable within its range. This approachable largish (25cm) bird is unmistakable, with its exclusively black-and-white plumage.

Distribution

Widespread and very common in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia and locally common in south-west Asia. In Africa occurs from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to eastern South Africa. In southern Asia found from north-east Afghanistan south through India to Sri Lanka, east to southern China and Hainan and south to Thailand. Very local in the Western Palearctic breeding in coastal south-west and south Turkey (where it is declining), northern Syria and in Israel and Jordan, formerly also Lebanon. Very recently spread to Cyprus. Breeds more commonly in Egypt in the Nile Delta and Valley. Very common in Iraq and extends north along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers into eastern Turkey.

Mainly resident but some birds disperse and becomes more widespread in winter in Turkey and the Near East, particularly Lebanon. Rare visitor to Kuwait in winter, and Cyprus where irregular winter visitor from Turkey in October-April.

Vagrants recorded in Greece (5+, mainly in winter), also Poland (August 1859) and France (winter 1990/91) but origins of these birds are uncertain. Three birds were recorded in Montenegro in July 1993, also recorded in Ukraine and Russia.

Taxonomy

Four races recognised, differing in size and amount of black in plumage. Nominate race occurs in Africa and south-west Asia, leucomelanura in most of Asian range, travancoreensis in south-west India and insignis in southern China and Hainan.

Habitat

Lakes, ponds and rivers, also fishes in estuaries and on sheltered seas. Nests in a hole in a bank.

Behaviour

It is mainly a specialist fish-eater, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects. It usually hunts by hovering stationarily over the water and dives down bill first directly below to catch fish.

It has evolved two unique strategies, shared by no other kingfishers. The Pied Kingfisher can hunt in both salt and freshwater. It can also deal with prey without returning to a perch, and can, for example, catch a second fish, or eat small prey in flight. These adaptations mean that this kingfisher can hunt over the sea or in estuaries that lack the perches required by other kingfishers.

Unlike some kingfishers, it is quite gregarious, and forms large roosts at night. It can be easily tamed.

Its nest is a hole in a bank, on its own or in a colony, where it lays 3-6 white eggs. The pied kingfisher sometimes reproduces co-operatively, with young non-breeding birds assisting the breeding pair.[1] As with all kingfishers, the nest of a Pied soon becomes unsanitary.

Old results retold in this [link] indicate that the body of a Pied Kingfisher is impalatable to for example a hornet. This would imply some kind of toxic substance; it has been speculated that this might help the bird survive because it discourages predators.

External Links

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