Distinguishing features
Their black and white plumage, crest and the habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish makes it distinctive.
This kingfisher is white with a black mask, a white supercilium and black breast bands. The crest is neat and the upperparts are barred in black. Several subspecies are recognized within the broad distribution. The nominate race is found in sub-Saharan Africa, extending into West Asia. Subspecies leucomelanura is found from Afghanistan east into India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Laos. The subspecies travancoreensis of the Western Ghats is darker with the white reduced. Subspecies C. r. insignis is found in Hainan and southeastern China and has a much larger bill. Males have a narrow second breast-band while females have a single broken breast band.(Wikipedia)
Size
- Up to 17 cm (Length of specimen)
Wingspan
- Wingspan data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
It is a water kingfisher and is found widely distributed across Africa and Asia.
Behaviour
When perched, they often bob their head and flick up their tail. (Wikipedia)
Diet
This kingfisher feeds mainly on fish, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects such as dragonfly larvae. It usually hunts by hovering over the water to detect prey and diving vertically down bill-first to capture fish. (Wikipedia)
