Stork-billed Kingfisher

Stork-billed Kingfisher

   Introduction of Stork-billed Kingfisher

   The Stork-billed Kingfisher (Scientific Name: Pelargopsis capensis) belongs to the Order: Coraciiformes and it's Family is Halcyonidaeis. This kingfisher is widely but sparsely distributed in tropical south Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia. The average life span of the kingfisher is two years.

     How to Identify Stork-billed Kingfisher

   It is a very large kingfisher typically measuring 25 to 38 cm in length and weight is between 140 and 200 grams.
   Head of the adult bird is grey, back is blue- green, wings and tail is blue. Color of  underparts and neck are orange-yellow. Bill is very large measuring 18 to 20 cm in length, and legs are small and bright red.  Males and females look alike.
  Juvenile birds are similar in appearance to the adult but have narrow dusky fringes on the collar, lower throat and breast, giving it a scaly appearance. They also have buff-green fringes on the upper tail coverts. Juveniles also have a duller bill and less prominent red eye-ring in comparison to the adult.

      Habits and Habitats

  The Stork-billed Kingfisher is quite solitary, less noisy and less visible. When perched it sits motionless for long periods which make it difficult to find out.
  It is a highly territorial bird and can  chase away other large predators to prevent it's territory.
Stork-billed Kingfishers like to live in wooded habitat near to water. Suitable perches along rivers, coasts and mangroves are their main natural habitat. They also found near artificial aquatic and terrestrial areas like plantations, water storage lakes, canals, drain canals and large water holding pits and ditches.

        Distribution
  The Stork-billed Kingfisher is found throughout the South Asia subcontinent and Southeast Asia from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. It  is a non-migrant sedentary bird but move locally for feeding and breeding within their range. These species are found within altitudes from 0 to 1200 meters.
   There are 13 recognised subspecies:
 Sub species P.c. capensis – found in the Indian subcontinent from the base of the Himalayas and South Nepal to Assam and Bangladesh and southwards from Southeast Gujarat and Southwest Bengal to Sri Lanka.
  Sub species P.c.osmastoni – found in the Andaman Islands
  Sub species P.c.intermedia – found on the Nicobar Islands
  Sub species P.c.burmanica – found in Myanmar, Thailand and south to the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula
  Sub species P.c.malaccensis – found in the Malay Peninsula, south of the Isthmus of Kra to the Riau and Linnga Archipelagos
  Sub species P.c.cyanopteryx – found in Sumatra, Bangka and Belitung
  Sub species P.c.simalurensis – found on the Simeulue Islands, off Northwest Sumatra
  Sub species P.c.sodalis – found in Banyak, Nias, Batu and Mentawai Islands off Northwest Sumatra
  Sub species P.c.innominata – found in Borneo
  Sub species P.c.javana – found in Java
  Sub species P.c. floresiana – found in Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores
  Sub species P.c.gouldi – found in northern Philippines (Lubang, Mindoro, Calauit, Culion, Palawan and Balabac)
  Sub species P.c.gigantea – found in central and southern Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago.
       Most racial variations are due to differences in plumage. P.c.gigantea differs the most from other subspecies in having a white head, neck and underpart

      Call
  The call of this noisy kingfisher is a low and far reaching peer-por-por repeated every 5 seconds. In flight the call is a loud cackling “ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke”.

     Food
  Frogs, fish, crabs and shrimp are the primary food of stork-billed kingfisher. But lizards, rodents, young birds, large insects and several terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates are also in their food list.
It is able to hover above the water while searching for fish and their heavy body weight gives them enough power to swoop down fast on a fish that is close to the water surface.

     Nesting and Breeding

   Stork-billed Kingfisher digs its nest in a river bank, decaying tree, or a tree termite nest. These stork-billed kingfisher species are monogamous.
   The breeding season varies according the range they inhibit. January to September is the breeding season in India. The breeding season is from January to May and also from August to September in Sri Lanka. The breeding season is found to be in April in Philippines and Nicobar Islands.
   Eggs of Stork-billed Kingfisher is round, white and glossy. The clutch consist of two to five eggs. Both the male and female incubate the eggs during the day. During the night, only the female incubates.