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A portrait of Pied kingfisher


A portrait of Pied kingfisher
Photo Information
Copyright: Seyed Babak Musavi (babak) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 49 W: 0 N: 195] (942)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-05-17
Categories: Birds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-03-28 7:40
Viewed: 891
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I have taken this shot around Dez river in SW of Iran of Pied kingfisher . I hope like it.The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a kingfisher in the near passerine bird family Cerylidae, the water kingfishers. It is the only member of the genus Ceryle.

It is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia from Turkey to China. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate, other than seasonal movements.

The Pied Kingfisher is estimated to be the world's third commonest kingfisher, and is a noisy bird, unmissable within its range.

It is mainly a specialist fish-eater, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects. It has evolved two unique strategies, shared by no other kingfishers. It usually hunts by hovering stationarily over the water and dives down bill first directly below to catch fish.

The Pied Kingfisher 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.

This approachable largish (25cm) bird is unmistakable, with its exclusively black-and-white plumage. 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. As with all kingfishers, the nest of a Pied soon becomes unsanitary.

This species was initially believed to be descended from an ancestral American green kingfisher which crossed the Atlantic Ocean about 1 million years ago (Fry & Fry, 2000). However, more recently, Moyle (2006) considered it more likely that the Pied Kingfisher and the American green kingfishers are derived from an Old World species, with the Pied Kingfisher or its ancestor losing the metallic coloration afterwards.
rufous03, Bufo, smitha, MMM has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To pvs: Thanksbabak 1 03-28 16:05
To fartash: Thanksbabak 1 03-28 16:01
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Critiques [Translate]

great pic, TFS Ori

Hello Babak
Excellent shot of this Kingfisher,
Perfect compo and shapness,
I tried a WS, Does it look better?
TFS

Regards
Fartash

  • Great 
  • viv Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 3 N: 621] (3120)
  • [2007-03-28 9:16]

Hello Babak,
Great shot of this kingfisher, sharp and colourfull.
Viv

Hi Babak,

A excellent capture of this kingfisher,I possted one myself as well not so long ago,IMO you could have improved the compo if you had left some space on the left side of the bird,anyway I like it a lot,

Paul

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 422 W: 71 N: 984] (4241)
  • [2007-03-28 10:37]

Hi Seyed,
in one word: Awesome!
Regards, Jacob

  • Great 
  • smitha Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 284 W: 77 N: 905] (3427)
  • [2007-03-28 13:42]

Hello Babak,
Wonderful shot.TFS,
Smitha.

Hi Sayed , very sharp and perfect portrait , thanks.

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 751 W: 0 N: 1506] (6876)
  • [2007-03-28 18:27]

Beuatifull capture of that bird.Very sharp with nice DOF
TFS Michel

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