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Pied Kingfisher


Pied Kingfisher
Photo Information
Copyright: volkan pek (volkan) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 452 W: 16 N: 1055] (6742)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-07-02
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D70s, Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-07-17 7:09
Viewed: 463
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Coraciiformes

Family: Cerylidae

Genus: Ceryle

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.


Pied Kingfishers hunt by hovering above water.It is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia from Turkey to India 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.


Pied Kingfishers dive bill first into water to catch fish.It is mainly a specialist fish-eater, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects. It usually hunts by hovering stationarily over the water and dives down bill first directly below to catch fish.

It has evolved two unique strategies, shared by no other kingfishers. The Pied Kingfisher can hunt in both salt and freshwater.[1] It 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. The pied kingfisher sometimes reproduces co-operatively, with young non-breeding birds assisting the breeding pair.[1] 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.

Ref:Wikipedia
jaywalker, pirate, parthasarathi, earthtraveler, spalaxtr has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Volkan, The detail & the expossure are perfect, wonderfully composed & the blue backdrop is excellent, this is a great shot but I hate the wire, still very good, kind regards Wilson.

Hi Volkan
great capture, I think it would be no unacceptable manipulation to remove the cable by posttreatment, to good to be left with the cable!
Tfs
Tom

Very good capture of the kingfisher.
Nicely composed and the frame a good choice.
Good focus.
I'd also suggest removing the cable.
TFS
Richard

Nice shot with a V.Good note.You should get 2+2+2.

Volkan merhaba,
Kuşu uçarken çok iyi fotoğraflamışsın. Keşke arkadaki tel hiç görünmeseydi, doğallığı bozmuş. Selamlar. Mustafa

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