Kingfisher

They close their eyes as they dive into the water, so they are fishing blind!

A Common kingfisher has advanced eyesight, polarising light being one of its abilities, reducing light’s reflection off water.

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.

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.

Kingfishers don’t build nests of sticks or plants. Instead, they nest in burrows that they dig into dirt banks, tree cavities, or old termite mounds. A male and female pair works together to create the burrow, taking turns digging out the soil with their feet. The burrow takes three to seven days to complete. It often slopes upward to avoid flooding and is usually about 1 to 2 meters

The burrow ends in a nesting chamber that is about 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) wide and 15 to 17 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) high. This is where the eggs are laid and the chicks raised.

When a common kingfisher dives after a meal, it often submerges completely in the water, folding its wings backward to create a V shape. It can even dive straight through a layer of thin ice to catch a fish below.

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 frogs, crabs, rodents and young birds; but they are predominantly fish-eaters.

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 thatt is close to the water surface.

* An average family of 6 kingfishers eat up to 100 fish a day!

In early Singapore times, many kingfishers were shot and stuffed to put in glass cases, while their feathers were widely used by milliners to adorn hats and made into blue pigment to dye fabric (Peranakan culture)

Many young kingfishers die within days of fledging, their first dives leaving them waterlogged so they end up drowning.

Because of the high mortality of young, kingfishers usually have two or three broods a year, with as many as 10 in a brood.

They are the most common type of kingfisher in Singapore.

They are observed to be aggressive birds, especially during nesting. From snatching food from other birds to attacking other animals that enter its breeding territory.

Kingfishers are perch-and-wait hunters, sitting on a branch, post, fence, mound or wire above the ground and waiting for their prey. When larger prey is caught, they pound it against the perch. They also hammer shells against stones to get at the mollusk or hermit crab inside. Sometimes, they will take prey from other birds.

A kingfisher’s beak is hard like a dagger for the purpose of spearing fish.

Kingfishers are so-called because they are expert fishermen.

The brilliant blue of the kingfisher’s back feathers are not the result of pigment, but the result of light striking specially modified layers of feather cells.

While most kingfishers are described purely as water-birds living chiefly on fish, this one breaks kingfisher stereotypes by preferring wooded country, rarely diving into water (for fish) and feeding voraciously on insects, reptiles, rodents, amphibians, and such small prey.

From elevated perches (electric poles and lines, walls) that serve as a vantage point, it swoops down on its prey. In certain situations, it has also been observed hunting smaller birds like the common tailorbird, and sparrow.

Kingfishers can achieve a flight speed of 60 to 70kmph while pursuing their prey.

The Ruddy Kingfisher is the only kingfisher found in Singapore that has a uniformly purple-brown plumage

Like other kingfishers, Ruddy Kingfishers generally feed on fish, crustaceans, and large insects, though in areas with less running water, they are known to take frogs and other amphibians.

The design of a kingfisher’s beak is aerodynamically efficient, allowing it to dive from its perch, towards its prey, with maximum speed and minimum splash. In fact, the beak design is so clever that the front of many Japanese bullet trains are modelled to mimic it.