Kingfishers - Bird of the Month June 2013

[Toko]

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

It is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Eurasia from Bulgaria,Turkey, West Asia east through the Indian Subcontinent to the Philippines.

It can often be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, large crustaceans, insects, earthworms, small rodents, fish and frogs, small rodents and even birds.

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. 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 White-throated Kingfisher begins breeding at the onset of the Monsoons. Males perch on prominent high posts in their territory an call in the early morning. The tail may be flicked now and in its courtship display the wings are stiffly flicked open for a second or two exposing the white wing mirrors. They also raise their bill high and display the white throat and front. The female in invitation makes a rapid and prolonged kit-kit-kit... call. The nest is a tunnel (50 cm long, but a nest with a 3 foot tunnel has been noted) in an earth bank. The nest building begins with both birds flying into a suitable mud wall until an indentation is made where they can find a perch hold. They subsequently perch and continue digging the nest with their bills. A single clutch of 4-7 round white eggs is typical. The eggs take 20–22 days to hatch while the chicks fledge in 19 days.

[nan]

and a special one... not in the list

White-throated Kingfisher/Martin-chasseur de Smyrne juv. (Inde)

[Flutterby]

The Kingfisher by William Henry Davies
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/wi ... poems/3085

It was the Rainbow gave thee birth,
And left thee all her lovely hues;
And, as her mother’s name was Tears,
So runs it in my blood to choose
For haunts the lonely pools, and keep
In company with trees that weep.
Go you and, with such glorious hues,
Live with proud peacocks in green parks;
On lawns as smooth as shining glass,
Let every feather show its marks;
Get thee on boughs and clap thy wings
Before the windows of proud kings.
Nay, lovely Bird, thou art not vain;
Thou hast no proud, ambitious mind;
I also love a quiet place
That’s green, away from all mankind;
A lonely pool, and let a tree
Sigh with her bosom over me.

[nan]

nice poem for a more than superb little bird

[Amoli]

A beautiful poem Flutts..

Sharifa, from all of us, thank you for doing this thread in such a great way and allowing each one of us to add our special pics.

thanks to all for the info and contributions, quizzies, poems.

[Peter Connan]

Love those MK's!

[Lisbeth]

[Flutterby]

Beautiful.

[Mel]

It looks rather handsome! Incredible.

[harrys]

Wow that's a beautiful bird