The video below shows a kingfisher doing its thing in the face of a fisherman who isn’t having any luck. An animal video is always better with a little context, though, so we’re going to learn a few things about kingfishers before we get to the video. Kingfishers are an ill-understood family of birds containing 144 known species that spread the world ’round. Let’s appreciate kingfishers a little bit then take a look at one of them as it flexes its skills on an unlucky fisherman.
What is a Kingfisher?
“Kingfisher” is another name for the family of birds called the Alcedinidae. These are uniquely colorful birds that are predominantly found in Africa and Asia, although you’ll spot them in places on every continent of the world, apart from Antarctica. Some unifying characteristics across all subspecies are big heads in proportion to their bodies, beaks that are long in proportion to their heads, and relatively short tails. The vast majority of these birds, male and female, boast colorful plumages of blue, orange, yellow, brown, black, and green. Further, most species are small, only standing between 10 centimeters and a few inches tall. The oriental dwarf kingfisher is one of the smallest subspecies, standing only 13 centimeters tall on average. This tiny bird has similar proportions to the other members of its family, but it displays some of the brightest oranges, blues, pinks, and whites of any kingfisher. The exception to the size rule is the giant kingfisher who stands roughly 17 inches tall. The giant kingfisher lives in central and southern Africa and has black and white plumage with distinctly spikey feathers at the top of its head. You might not recognize it as a member of its species if it weren’t for that disproportionally-sized beak.
The Kingfisher in This Video
The bird we’re looking at today was likely a common kingfisher, river kingfisher, or Eurasian kingfisher. These are all known as “common kingfishers” and they share a similar appearance. They’re found in wetlands and favor rivers. As their names suggest, kingfishers are skilled fishers with the ability to nab small fish with their large beaks. The video below is a perfect display of their hunting method. They patiently perch on a stick (or a fishing pole) above the water until they see a fish, then… zoom! They snatch a fish, often grabbing the body perpendicular to the beak and shifting it into place upon landing. Their ability to fly low and fast gives them a distinct advantage when hunting fish in rivers and lakes. They’re so quick, in fact, you might only see a fuzzy blue object zooming past you if one were to fly by. Keep an eye out for common kingfishers if you live in Europe, Asia, or North Africa. If you do see one, that might mean your local ecosystem is in good condition. Dense populations of kingfishers are typically an indication that the health of water and plant life is in good condition. Now that we’ve got a good idea of the kingfisher, let’s watch one absolutely show up a human fisherman. Enjoy!
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KingfisherBelted KingfisherOriental Dwarf KingfisherLungfish
