|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
This is a Stork Billed Kingfisher - Pelargopsis capensis.
Stork-billed Kingfishers eat mainly fishes, using their large heavy bills to good effect to catch and kill their prey. From their perch, usually about 2-4 m above the water, they will plunge into the water. They also eat crabs, insects, frogs, mice, lizards, birds and their eggs. Prey is brought back and whacked senseless against the perch.
Main features: The largest (37cm, 140-200g, females usually heavier); bill large (18-20cm) coral-red; upper parts blue; head brown; collar and underparts orange-yellow; feet red.
Adult: As above. Genders look alike.
Juvenile: Like the adult but with narrow dusky fringes on the collar, lower throat and breast and buff-green fringing on upper tail coverts.
Call: Described as flutey 3-4 note fuey falling in pitch; a loud ke-ke-keke-ke-ke in flight. Also a squawking cackle.
In flight: Plain blue wings; big red bill. |
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes. |
|
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 0 N: 78]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}