The Pied Kingfisher

This beautiful black and white bird from the kingdom Animalia is easily identified by its noisy call (they make loud chirruk chirruk notes) making them very noisy and hard to miss birds. They are widely distributed across Africa and Asia. In Uganda, they are commonly found around the water bodies and swamp areas. Males have a double band across the breast while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. They have a remarkable ability to steadily hover vertically over water bodies. This technique enables them hunt and swallow their fish on the go unlike other kingfishers that need to perch, therefore they can hunt for hours over the vast Lake Victoria. They have sharp beaks and strong claws that they use as a tool for hunting (fishing). Researchers have found that this bird can fly at 32mph with a straight rapid flight. They mostly feed on large insects found around the swampy areas like dragon flies and small fish locally known as mukene and nkejje, although competition for small fish tightened after the Nile Perch was introduced in the waters of Lake Victoria. Because of their diet, they tend to build their nests around the Lake. Majority of the pied kingfisher do not migrate therefore making them resident birds. Its nest is a hole excavated in a vertical mud bank about five feet above water where they lay their eggs during the breeding season which begins in February and ends around April. The adult birds participate in feeding the new hatchlings especially the ones that are not yet breeding. Some African cultures associate this king fisher with good luck.

the pied kingfisher can fly 32mph

Biological data:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Genus: Ceryle
Species: C. Rudis

References:

1)      BirdLife International (2012). "Ceryle rudis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

2)      ^ Wanink, Jan H.; Goudswaard, Kees (P. C.) (1994). "Effects of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) introduction into Lake Victoria, East Africa, on the diet of Pied Kingfishers (Ceryle rudis)". Hydrobiologia. 279–280 (1): 367–376. doi:10.1007/BF00027868.