Patiently Fishing
Massive chunky black and white with chestnut breast kingfisher sat across the river closely watching and waiting for movement in the water, poised to dive with large dagger-like bill. Upper chestnut breast is the male, with female chestnut more the belly and underwings.
Largest kingfisher in Africa lives beside freshwater, hunting fish, crabs, frogs and invertebrates, large prey is vigorously beaten against solid object like a rock to kill, dismember before swallowing.
Keeping contact along waterways with raucous call of 'wak wak wak' or repeated calling 'kek' and 'kakh' slightly different obviously when needing to be heard over water flow.
Like many of the kingfisher species they burrow tunnels in vertical banks near the waters edge by both parents, raised three to five young in slightly under a month of incubation.
Female takes over the duty of feeding the young, enjoyed seeing this bird along the Amanzimtoti river a week ago, a first, other kingfishers enjoy riverside regularly is Malachite, Pygmy and Brown-hooded kingfishers.
Giant Kingsher (Megaceryle maxima) is found over Africa south of Saraha Desert, anywhere there is a body of water with fish, somewhere to perch to dive from when hunting, apparently have been sighted in marine pools not something I have seen. Birds length is 44 cm with an average weight of 364g.
Above is the only other spot I have sighted the Giant kingfisher, lower South Coast near Port Edward, once again at a distance across water resting on a building above the water.
All photography is my own. Any queries or requests please drop a comment below or make contact with me, have a wonderful day! Photography without tripod, go with the flow wherever life takes you. NB: Amateur photographer and bird watcher, keep smiling!
Thought for Today: "鈥淲ealth is water." - African Proverb
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