If you are taking your daily constitutional on a lake bund in Bengaluru, a sharp chirruk chirruk will alert you to the presence of the Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis). Sit by the banks and watch it fish. It is an amazing sight to watch the bird, swooping down in a spectacular dive and coming up with a fish in its beak.
“Only those who enjoy birding and have watched a Pied Kingfisher feed, know who is the king of the waters. The black-and-white bird with an intricate face pattern makes for a striking sight,” says Devika Rani who lives on St Johns Road.
According to a bird site, there are roughly 90 species of kingfishers and all have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. While kingfishers are usually thought to live near rivers and eat fish, most of the kingfisher species in the world live away from water and eat small invertebrates. They nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground, and several nest in unused termite mounds.
The pied kingfisher fishes in fresh water bodies and is a fairly common bird to spot. Its black and white plumage, crest and the habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish makes it distinctive.
Estimated to be the world’s third most common kingfisher, and a noisy bird as well, it is hard to miss.
“I have seen them in Hoskote Lake and recently a family were sighted in Gulakamale lake. These birds have been at the lake for the last four years. It is very entertaining to watch them. They dive vertically to catch fish and emerge from the water, like professional divers. I have seen them fishing in the early mornings and in the twilight,” says Swaroop Bharadwaj an enthusiastic birder.
He says they are found in pairs or in a small family and their presence is a good indicator of the health of lake, since they prey on fish and other large aquatic insects. If the water is contaminated, the fish do not survive.
This kingfisher is only around 17 cm long and is white with a black mask and black breast bands. When perched, they often bob their heads and flick up their tails. They can swallow small prey in flight, and so can hunt over large water bodies or in estuaries that lack perches, which is required by other kingfishers. So go out to a lake this weekend, in the city and keep your binoculars trained to look out for the Pied Kingfisher.
