Pied Kingfisher

 

The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a striking black-and-white mid-sized bird with a large head, small body, small feet, a long, dagger-like bill and a distinctive crest. 

These birds are boldly marked black-and-white kingfishers with short, bushy crest and glossy all-dark bills. Males have a double chest band resembling a bowtie, while females display a single, often broken, band. ⁠

Caution: Pied Kingfishers may be confused with the larger Crested Kingfishers (Megaceryle lugubris), also called greater pied kingfishers. Crested kingfishers, unlike pied kingfishers, have a pink brown lining on the wings instead of a white lining.

Aerial perching 

It is known for its unique hovering ability, managing a true hover without using any air currents, relying on wing power alone. setting it apart from other kingfishers. The pied kingfisher is the largest bird in the world that is capable of aerial perching, hovering in place without using air currents, which means it doesn’t need a perch to hunt for fish, but can do so from the middle of a lake.

But beating his wings 10 times every second takes up a huge amount of energy, so he needs to catch over half his own body weight every day. Primarily feeding on fish, it also consumes insects and small crustaceans. It hovers over water before diving headfirst to catch fish and can swallow their prey in mid-flight

⁠Behavoiur

Characteristic behaviours include the exhibition of a regular bobbing of the head or tail. They bathe by repeatedly diving into water, and fly without undulation (unlike most kingfishers that fly in a sine waveform).

They are sociable birds that are usually found in pairs or small family groups and form large roosts at night. Males and females, along with other males, will share the duties of raising nestlings and incubating eggs. Pied kingfishers live along streams, lakes, rivers, estuaries, irrigation ditches, canals, bays, floodlands, and reedy inlets.