A clique of Kingfishers II
Part 2
Continuing from my earlier post, here are some interesting facts & myths about kingfishers:
There are roughly 90 different species of kingfishers in the world. The majority of the species are found in Asia, Africa, Australia and South America; some species in Europe and North America
Most species are sedentary but a few are migratory or partially migratory
Kingfishers are known for their looks: stocky body; long, thick bill; and striking colors and markings. Many kingfisher species are decked out in feathers of bright blue, green, turquoise, red, or gold. Some have splotches, dashes, stripes, or speckles.
The smallest species of kingfisher is the African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina lecontei), which is around 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) long and weight from 9 to 12 grams (0.3 to 0.4 ounces).
The largest species of kingfisher is laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), which is up to 46 centimeters (18 inches) long and weight up to 490 grams (17 ounces).
All kingfishers have excellent vision and can see into the water – even adjusting for refraction, which can make a fish look closer to the surface than it really is. It has fast and direct flying, but it is also able to hover above the water when it searches and collects food.
Alcyone and Ceyx transformed into Halcyons
From Neueröffneter Musen-Tempel by Bernard Picart, 1733
Myths and misconceptions surround this diminutive bird, which can hide in plain sight despite its dazzling plumage. The most enduring kingfisher myth owes its 2,000-year history partly to the founder of western science, Aristotle, who claimed that the bird made its nest on the sea surface in a period of winter calm. Incidentally, this is where we got the phrase “halcyon days”, which is now – of course – synonymous with summer. The idea that kingfishers were associated with calm weather meant their feathers were kept as charms to ward off thunder or for general good fortune. A naturalist travelling in Russia noted that a distraught local blamed his wife’s death on the loss of his kingfisher amulet.
In Greek mythology, Alcyone or Alkyone (Alkyónē derived from alkyon "kingfisher") and Ceyx, were a wife and husband who incurred the wrath of the god Zeus. Alcyone was the daughter of King Aeolus of Aeolia and a Thessalian princess and later queen of Trachis. Ceyx was the son of Eosphorus (often translated as Lucifer). Alcyone and Ceyx married and were very happy together in Trachis. According to Pseudo-Apollodorus's account, they often sacrilegiously called each other "Zeus" and "Hera". This angered Zeus, so while Ceyx was at sea (going to consult an oracle, according to Ovid), the god threw a thunderbolt at his ship. Soon after, Morpheus, the god of dreams, disguised as Ceyx, appeared to Alcyone as an apparition to tell her of his fate, and she threw herself into the sea in her grief. Out of compassion, the gods changed them both into common kingfishers, or "halcyon birds", named after her.
Ovid and Hyginus both also recount the metamorphosis of the pair in and after Ceyx's loss in a terrible storm, though they both omit Ceyx and Alcyone calling each other Zeus and Hera (and Zeus's resulting anger) as a reason for it. On the contrary, it is mentioned that being unaware of Ceyx's death in the shipwreck, Alcyone continued to pray at the altar of Hera for his safe return. Ovid also adds the detail of her seeing his body washed up onshore before her attempted suicide. The myth is also briefly referred to by Virgil, again without reference to Zeus's anger.
Most of these untruths have had baleful consequences for this bird of sky and flame, but there is one myth I rather like: only the righteous get to see them.
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Brown-winged Kingfisher
The brown-winged kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauroptera) is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae. It is found along the north and eastern coasts of the Bay of Bengal, occurring in the countries of Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. In India, it has been mainly reported from the Sundarbans region but records from further south near Chilka exist. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Chunky large orangish kingfisher with an oversized head and a scarlet dagger of a bill. No other large kingfisher in its range has dark brown wings. Bright blue-green rump patch most obvious in flight. Restricted to coastal habitats such as mangroves and estuaries. Gives loud, fluid-sounding whistles as well as harsh grating rattles.
Status: Near Threatened
This kingfisher was photographed in the dense mangroves of the Kilim River area at the north eastern end which is part of the Kilim Geopark on the main island of Langkawi. This is also the spectacular location where a large number of eagles - white-bellied sea eagles and brahminy kites - circle the sky and dive into the river to catch their food.
Brown-winged Kingfisher Distribution
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Stork-billed Kingfisher
The stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis), is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. This kingfisher is resident throughout its range.
It is a very large kingfisher, measuring 35 cm (14 in) in length. The adult has a green back, blue wings and tail, and olive-brown head. Its underparts and neck are buff. The very large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the stork-billed kingfisher is laboured and flapping, but direct. Sexes are similar.
There are 13 races or 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 about every 5 seconds, as well 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 whilst 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. Adults dig their nests in river banks, decaying trees, or tree termite nests. A clutch of two to five round white eggs is typical.
Stork-billed Kingfisher Distribution
Status: Least Concern
This kingfisher was photographed in the Sungei Buloh Wetlands which was first opened as a Nature Park in 1993. In 2002, 130 hectares were officially gazetted as a Nature Reserve and renamed Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to better reflect its status. In the same year, it was recognised as a site of international importance for migratory birds and awarded a certificate by Wetlands International, marking the reserve's formal entry into the East Asian Australasian Shorebird Site Network, which includes Australia's Kakadu National Park, China's Mai Po – Inner Deep Bay and Japan's Yatsu Tidal Flats. And in 2003, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve became Singapore's first ASEAN Heritage Park.
Since then Sungei Buloh has expanded to include 202ha of mangroves, mudflats, ponds and forests, providing an even larger sanctuary for the flora and fauna that call it home. This includes the newest extension that houses a brand new Visitor Centre and new trails for visitors to explore and enjoy. This new extension is situated along Kranji Way, and is easily accessible by public transport, bringing Sungei Buloh even closer to the public.
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Banded Kingfisher
The banded kingfisher (Lacedo pulchella) is a tree kingfisher found in lowland tropical forests of southeast Asia. It is the only member of the genus Lacedo. Male and female adults are very different in plumage. The male has a bright blue crown with black and blue banding on the back. The female has rufous and black banding on the head and upper parts.
The first formal description of the species was by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821 under the binomial name Dacelo pulchella. The current genus Lacedo was introduced by the German ornithologist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1851. The word Lacedo is an anagram of Alcedo, the Latin word for kingfisher. The specific name pulchella is Latin for "very pretty".
There are three subspecies:
L. p. pulchella, the nominate race, breeds in Malaysia south of 7°N and on the islands of Sumatra and Java.
L. p. amabilis breeds from northern Malaysia northwards. It is slightly larger than the nominate form. The male has a blue nape, and the female is more rufous than pulchella.
L. p. melanops breeds in Brunei. The male has a black forehead, cheeks and nape.
The banded kingfisher is a 20 cm (7.9 in) long with a sturdy red bill and a short crest which is slowly raised and lowered. It shows striking sexual dimorphism compared to most of its relatives. The adult male has a chestnut forehead, cheeks and nape, and a bright blue cap. The rest of the upper parts, wings and tail are black with blue bands. The breast, flanks and undertail are rufous, and the central belly is white.
The adult female is equally striking, with black-and-rufous-banded upperparts, and white underparts with some black bars on the chest and flanks. Young birds are duller than the adult of the same sex, have a brown and orange bill, and dusky barring on the underparts.
The call is a long whistled wheeeoo followed by 15 repetitions of chiwiu in 17 seconds, the second syllable gradually fading away. The banded kingfisher will respond to imitations of its call. This is a bird of lowland rainforest found up to 1,700 m in Brunei, but normally below 1100 m altitude in the rest of its range. Unlike most kingfishers, it does not need pools or streams in its territory.
Banded Kingfisher Distribution
Found widely through south east Asia, from south east and east Myanmar, throughout Thailand, Lao People's Democratic Republic and central Viet Nam, south throughout Cambodia, Malaysia, Sumatra (including the Riau Archipelago) and Java, Indonesia (del Hoyo et al. 2001). Fairly common in lowland evergreen forest across much of this range, but rare in Java and very rare in Sumatra (Fry and Fry 1999). The species is extinct in Singapore.
Status: Least Concern
(but population trends are decreasing)
The bird featured here was photographed through dense undergrowth from a steep hillside in the tropical rainforests of Sungai Congkak in the Hulu Langat district of Selangor state, Malaysia.
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to be continued…
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