Part 3

The word Halcyon, which is also the genus for Tree Kingfishers, is a term for peace and tranquillity. Being extremely territorial, these active little birds are anything but tranquil; nor are they quiet, as their calls can often be heard from the tree-tops in an otherwise peaceful wilderness. 

Kingfishers are known to eat different types of prey – from worms and other insects to frogs and molluscs, although they are most famous for eating fish. Kingfishers are monogamous and nest in holes dug in riverbanks or in trees. 

India is home to 12 species of kingfishers! 

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The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis): As its name suggests, it is one of the most commonly seen kingfishers in the country. The little flashes of blue as it is seen diving into ponds or other water bodies hold even the most seasoned birders enthralled!

The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.

This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey underwater. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.

This species has the typical short-tailed, dumpy-bodied, large-headed, and long-billed kingfisher shape. The adult male of the western European subspecies, A. a. ispida has green-blue upperparts with pale azure-blue back and rump, a rufous patch by the bill base, and a rufous ear-patch. It has a green-blue neck stripe, white neck blaze and throat, rufous underparts, and a black bill with some red at the base. The legs and feet are bright red. It is about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long with a wingspan of 25 cm (9.8 in), and weighs 34–46 grams (1.2–1.6 oz).

Status: Least Concern

There are seven subspecies differing in the hue of the upperparts and the intensity of the rufous colour of the underparts; size varies across the subspecies by up to 10%. The races resident south of the Wallace Line have the bluest upper parts and partly blue ear-patches. This kingfisher was photographed in the salt marshes of the Kutch Biosphere Reserve in the Little Rann of Kutch.

In 2008, to project Kutch as an international nature destination, the Government of Gujarat designated the area as the Kutch Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO under its Man and Biosphere (MAB) program. Biosphere reserves aim to promote sustainable development in the surrounding area, which is reserved for conservation and research. Such reserves are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, the Indian Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act. The government provides funds for the conservation of the landscape's biological diversity and its cultural heritage.

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The collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia to Polynesia. A number of subspecies and subspecies groups have been split from this species including the Pacific kingfisher, the islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher, and the Melanesian kingfisher.

The collared kingfisher is 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in) long and the male weighs 51 to 90 g (1.8 to 3.2 oz), while the female weighs 54–100 g (1.9–3.5 oz). It varies from blue to green above while the underparts can be white or buff. There is a white collar around the neck, giving the bird its name. Some races have a white or buff stripe over the eye while others have a white spot between the eye and bill. There may be a black stripe through the eye. The large bill is black with a pale yellow base to the lower mandible. Females tend to be greener than the males. Immature birds are duller than the adults with dark scaly markings on the neck and breast.

It has a variety of calls which vary geographically. The most typical call is a loud, harsh and metallic "kee-kee-kee" repeated several times.

This kingfisher is found in the Western Ghats of India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with three subspecies found in India in total. They are mainly coastal and are easily identified by their blue collars. The subspecies that occurs furthest west in the Eurasian/African landmass is T. c. abyssinica of north-east Africa, which is found in patches of mangroves in Eritrea and has also been recorded from Sudan and Somalia. Further east in Arabia is the endangered race T. c. kalbaensis with a population of 55 pairs or fewer; these are almost entirely restricted to Khor Kalba in the United Arab Emirates, but breeding has also occurred recently at Khor Shinas in Oman. Further subspecies occur locally around the coasts of India and Bangladesh and on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In Southeast Asia and Indonesia the species is widespread and common, occurring far inland in some regions.

Status: Least Concern

This kingfisher was photographed from my balcony at home in Singapore. This branch is its favorite perch and it comes multiple times a day to forage. The call is quite distinctive and it can be easily spied flying from branch to branch. It is most commonly found in coastal areas, particularly in mangrove swamps. It also inhabits farmland, open woodland, grassland and gardens. In some parts of its range, especially on islands, it can be seen further inland, ranging into forest or into mountain areas. Birds often perch conspicuously on wires, rocks or bare branches.

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The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) also known as the white-breasted kingfisher or Smyrna kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia from Turkey east through the Indian subcontinent to the Philippines. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range, although some populations may make short distance movements. It can often be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even birds. During the breeding season they call loudly in the mornings from prominent perches including the tops of buildings in urban areas or on wires.It is the State bird of West Bengal.

This is a large kingfisher, about 28 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wings and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly are chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the white-throated kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult. This one sat and posed against different backgrounds and even let me come fairly close before deciding to take off.

The White-throated kingfisher is a common species of a variety of habitats, mostly open country in the plains (but has been seen at 7500 ft in the Himalayas) with trees, wires or other perches. The range of the species is expanding. A commonly sighted kingfisher across the Indian subcontinent also seen away from water bodies feeding on insects, rodents, amphibians, and even birds.

This kingfisher is widespread and populations are not threatened. Average density of 4.58 individuals per km2. has been noted in the Sundarbans mangroves.

Status: Least Concern

The bird featured here was photographed on one of my very first bird watching walks at the GHMC Urban Forestry Nursery, Tellapur with a very good friend from work - Tirthankar. That day we had the opportunity to walk all around the nursery spotting and photographing numerous species and then headed to the nearby Nallagandla Lake.

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to be continued…

There are still numerous kingfishers I am yet to photograph and this is just the very beginning. I have seen bird enthusiasts who have been fortunate to see all the species of kingfishers present, especially in India, and someday I hope to be able to say the same. Thankfully, in the company of good friends, I have had the opportunity to explore the habitats in various countries and watch these magnificent little birds go about their daily routines. Soon I hope to continue to explore and add to this clique of kingfishers.

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