July 2008. Botanical Garden, Singapore

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Halcyonidae
Genus: Pelargopsis
Species: P. capensis

Binomial name Pelargopsis capensis
(Linnaeus, 1766)

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.

The Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis (formerly Halcyon capensis), is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in tropical south Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia. This kingfisher is essentially resident throughout its range.

This is a very large kingfisher, 35 cm in length. The adult has a green back, blue wings and tail, and grey head. Its underparts and neck are buff. The very large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the Stork-billed Kingfisher is laboured and flapping, but direct. Sexes are similar. There are 15 races, mostly differing in plumage detail, but P. c. gigantea of the Sulu Islands has a white head, neck and underparts. The call of this noisy kingfisher is a low and far reaching peer-por-por repeated every 5 seconds or so as well cackling ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke.

Stork-billed Kingfisher is a species of a variety of well-wooded habitats near lakes, rivers or coasts. 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 fish, frogs, crabs, rodents and young birds.

Stork-billed Kingfisher digs its nest in a river bank, decaying tree, or a tree termite nest. A clutch of two to five round white eggs is typical.

Breeding: Stork-billed Kingfishers dig out a tunnel nest in among other things: river banks, termite and ants’ nests (include a nest made 6 m high up in a tree), and a hollow tree trunk. 2-5 white eggs are laid. Little else is known about their breeding habits.

That’s wonderful day, but quite hot, on July 2008. I almost decided to go home after searching around in this Botanical Garden, Singapore. I tried to get some of kingfisher photos here. But maybe not the day. But suddenly I saw this bird flying above the Swan Lake, then I tried to catch him, following him until I was below him, he looked at me then I took some of his photos.
I paid more attention of this bird, because finally I can meet him. Then he flight over and landed in the lake caught an orange nice fish, quite big for his mouth. Then I run to get closer, then I took some photos but many people was walking around make the birds went away. I could see the whole process. Actually I could not express my feelting that time, happy I can see this birds, but also sad because of the fish was going to die.
If you see the photos, you will see 2 eyes there with the different feeling.

Source:

• http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Pelargopsis_capensis.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork-billed_Kingfisher

Photo Gallery: Stork-billed Kingfisher

Penang, Malaysia

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Halcyonidae
Genus: Halcyon
Species: H. smyrnensis

Binomial name Halcyon smyrnensis

The White-throated Kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis, also known as the White-breasted Kingfisher or Smyrna Kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher which is widely distributed in south Asia from Turkey east to the Philippines. This kingfisher is essentially resident over much of its range, apart from seasonal movements.

Main features: Medium (28cm); throat and breast white, but no white collar; head and rest of underparts chocolate brown. Wings, tail and back turquoise; bill large (6-7cm), red; feet red.

Female: brown parts not so dark.

Juvenile: Duller; bill initially dark; fine dark scallops on white breast; lesser wing-coverts mottled black.

Call: Described as a loud shrill whinnying kek-kek which trails off; a harsh repeated klip; a piercing staccato laugh.

In flight: Blue with wing tips black; white patch at base of primaries;

The first of the alternative English names is to be preferred because the geographical name is too restrictive for this widespread bird, and the easternmost race lacks a white breast.

This is a large kingfisher, 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.

There are four races differing mainly in plumage shades, but H. s. gularis of the Philippines has only the neck and throat white. The flight of the White-throated Kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. The large bill and legs are bright red.

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. The call of this noisy kingfisher is a chuckling chake-ake-ake-ake-ake.

White-throated Kingfisher is a common species of a variety of habitats with some trees, and its range is expanding. It perches conspicuously on wires or other exposed perches within its territory, and is a frequent sight in south Asia. This species mainly hunts large insects, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs. It is reputed to eat tired migratory passerine birds like Chiffchaffs where the opportunity arises.

White-throated Kingfisher has a striking display in which the wings are spread to show the white patches. The nest is a 50cm tunnel in an earth bank. A single clutch of 4-7 round white eggs is typical.

While hunting along the water, they prey on crabs, amphibians (frogs) and reptiles (skinks, lizards). On land, they hunt large insects and arthropods (grasshoppers, beetles, termites, scorpions, centipedes). They beat these against their perch to kill and remove venomous stings. They even take small mammals (rats, mice, voles), snakes up to 65cm long, and nestling birds.

White-throated Kingfishers dive to catch aquatic prey; in shallow water, entering feet-first, in deeper waters, head-first. They can also hover for a short while before plunging in. They also dive into grass and vegetation to catch their prey. Their huge bills come in handy to hammer their prey to death. Swarming termites may also be caught in flight.

Their hunts appear to be more successful in wetlands than on dry land. White-throated Kingfishers hunt alone, but where hunting is good, they may perch as close as 100 m apart without showing much hostility.

Breeding: White-throated Kingfishers breed in Singapore in December-May. Courting White-throated Kingfishers display on a perch as they sing, spreading out their wings to show the white patches. Some perform a courtship flight, flying straight up then spiralling downwards.

White-throated Kingfishers nest in steep earth banks besides roads and stream, and occasionally, termite mounds. They dig out a tunnel about 7 cm wide, 50 cm to nearly 1 m deep ending in a breeding chamber about 20 cm in diameter. During the construction period, the mated pair are very vocal and call and display to each other continuously. 4-7 white eggs are laid. Both parents raise the chicks.

I took that photos when I was in Penang, near by the clock tower.

Source:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-throated_Kingfisher
• http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Halcyon_smyrnensis.htm

Photo Gallery: White-throated Kingfisher

White-collared Kingfisher

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Halcyonidae
Genus: Todiramphus
Species: T. chloris

Binomial name Todiramphus chloris
(Boddaert, 1783)

Main features:
Medium (24cm); turquoise head and upperparts; broad white collar bordered by narrow black line; underparts white;
back varies from greenish-blue to turquoise;
collared kingfisher (lighter blue)
feet black; bill- maxilla black, mandible dirty white.

Adult: As above. In a mated pair, the male tends to be slightly more blue, while the female tends to be more green.

Juvenile: Duller; broader black collar margin; fine black scalloping across the breast.

Call: Described as variable laughing calls from a soft quiet chuckle to harsh loud maniacal kek-kek, kek-kek. At rest, has a gentle chup-kree.

In flight: Uniform turquoise upperparts.

The Collared Kingfisher is 22 to 29 cm long and weighs 51 to 90 grams. 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 birds 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 loud, harsh and metallic and is repeated several times.

Habitat and range
SE Queensland, Australia. Singapore

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.

The most westerly subspecies 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 less; these are almost entirely restricted to Khor Kalba in the United Arab Emirates but breeding has also occurred recently at Khor Shinass 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. It once more becomes a mainly coastal species in New Guinea and in northern Australia where it occurs from Shark Bay, Western Australia around to north-east New South Wales. On the Pacific islands it is usually common in a variety of coastal and inland habitats with various subspecies present on the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, American Samoa, Palau and the Northern Marianas.

March 2008 .Changi Village. Singapore

Feeding
Small crabs are the favoured food in coastal regions but a wide variety of other animals are eaten including insects, worms, snails, shrimps, frogs, lizards and small fish. The bird perches almost motionless for long periods waiting for prey. When it spots something it dives down to catch it and then flies back to the perch where larger items are smashed against the branch to subdue them. Any indigestible remains are regurgitated as pellets.

Reproduction
The nest is a hole, either a natural tree hole or a burrow excavated by the birds themselves in a rotten tree, termite mound or earth bank. They will also occupy old woodpecker holes. Two to seven rounded whitish eggs are laid directly on the floor of the burrow with no nest material used. Both parents take part in incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. The young birds leave the nest about 44 days after hatching. Two broods are often raised in a year.

Source:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collared_Kingfisher
• http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Halcyon_chloris.htm

The Photos was taken in Changi Village, Punggol, Alexandra Hospital. (Singapore) on March-July 2008.

Photo Gallery: White-Collared Kingfisher