the stork-billed kingfisher

was walking across the main bridge at sungei buloh wetland reserve when i heard an unfamiliar bird call. when i started looking for the source of it, the call stopped. looking up, among the trees, i saw a large kingfisher, the largest i have seen. it turned out to be a stork-billed kingfisher. the bird is at the top right-hand corner of the first picture - (this presents icemoon a chance to practise his bird spotting skill).

"stork-billed kingfishers are the largest kingfishers found in singapore. but they are rarely sighted because they are shy and less noisy than other kingfishers."

"stork-billed kingfisher is a species of a variety of well-wooded habitats near lakes, rivers or coasts. it perches quietly whilst seeking food, and is often inconspicuous despite its size. it is territorial and will chase away eagles and other large predators. this species hunts fish, frogs, crabs, rodents and young birds.

stork-billed kingfisher digs its nest in a river bank, decaying tree, or a tree termite nest. a clutch of two to five round white eggs is typical."

this one is definitely bigger than the white throated kingfisher i encountered along the pavement at yishun avenue 1 sometime in may this year.

the kingfisher that is most commonly seen and heard in singapore is the collared kingfisher. these kingfishers are so loud and noisy that you cannot miss hearing them each time you go for walk along the coast like kranji trail or a mangrove area like the sungei buloh wetland reserve.

white throated kingfisher at yishun ave 1

when i visited wilsons promontory in australia, i kept looking out for the laughing kookaburra, one of the heaviest kingfishers in the world. i was told it was commonly sighted, especially near the visitor's centre. i saw a number of rosellas but no kookaburra. a rosella is a species of colourful australian parrot.

back in singapore, i was walking towards the fishing jetty at lower seletar reservoir when i saw this colourful kingfisher on the pavement. it is not the common kingfisher but like all kingfishers it has a large head, a long, sharp pointed bill, short legs and a stubby tail. found out that it was a white throated kingfisher.

a white throated kingfisher has a large red bill. its head, shoulders and underparts are rust coloured. the back, wings and tail are blue. its identifying mark is its characteristic white throat and upper chest. the wings also have white patches but these are visible only when it flies.

white-throated kingfishers are adaptable predators and will dive into the water to capture aquatic prey like fish, crabs, and amphibians or will plunge into the grass and undergrowth to capture terrestrial prey like large insects and invertebrates, small reptiles, rodents, and baby birds.

kingfishers are found throughout the world.