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This thread is about Pied Kingfishers only. If you have any photos of or interesting information about Pied Kingfishers you can post it here. Maybe you have made an interesting observation while watching Pied Kingfishers in one of the SANParks that you want to share with the rest of us; this is the place to do it.

Please try and keep generalized comments to the minimum and only post here if it is information we can learn from (if not we might have to move your comments elsewhere). It’s always nice to post messages telling people how nice their photo looks like or how you appreciated the info but messages like this sometimes cause the real information to disappear into obscurity.

Now we are waiting for your photo contributions or additional information we can learn from.

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)


Pied Kingfisher seen on the low water bridge to Balule

Alternate common name(s) as used in other areas:
Lesser Pied Kingfisher, Small Pied Kingfisher, Indian Pied Kingfisher

Other names:
French: Martin-pêcheur pie, Alcyon pie
German: Graufischer
Dutch: Bonte Ijsvogel

This is a common, easily seen, black and white crested Kingfisher. that occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia from Turkey to China . It is resident and most birds do not migrate other than seasonal movements. The Pied Kingfisher is estimated to be the world's third commonest kingfisher and is a noisy bird unmissable within its range.

It is mainly a specialist fish-eater although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects. It has evolved two unique strategies shared by no other kingfishers. As well as hunting from a perch it will seek fish by hovering prior to a dive like an Osprey. It is the largest bird that is capable of a true hover in still air and this hunting method means that, unlike the closely related Giant Kingfisher, it is not dependent on there being extensive woodland within its home range.

The sexes are very similar and are only distinguished by the presence of 2 full breast bands (one broad and one narrow) in the male whereas the female has a single incomplete breast band. They are usually found in pairs or small groups and they nest in burrows, often in small colonies. They lay 3-6 white egss. As with all kingfishers the nest of a Pied Kingfisher soon becomes unsanitary.

Some of my Pied's:
Biyamiti Weir:


Along the S25:

I don't wanna be left out .. so here you go

The kill at sunsetdam

these were both taken at the Berg River estuary, Velddrif. There is very little than made made objects for the birds to
hunt from as the river has vlei with reeds and low growth on each side.
So, as you can see in the first pic, the clever birds have adjusted and aptly fish from the moored boats. These 2 pics were taken a mere 20m apart and the 2nd pic actually had 2 birds, but one was camera shy. I have never seen as many pied kingfishers in one small area as this (Bokkom Laan, Velddrif.)

Okay, here's a pied kingfisher from my collection. As this thread is meant as a learning experience I'll add some technical details about the picture.



The picture was taken late in the afternoon at the Lower Sabie low water bridge. I positioned the car about 6 meters from the bird and used a 300mm f/2.8 lens to make a close-up of the head. I used an aperture of f/6.3 so most of the bird is in focus but the background is blurred. The colours in the background are actually blurred rocks and water. The picture was taken using a beanbag and a remote release ensuring sharpness of the picture.

Kingfishers stick to the same area and if a low water bridge is in their area then they will use the bridge frequently and thus will be used to cars to the point where they will totally ignore cars. Low water bridges are therefore the best places to photograph kingfishers. The Lower Sabie and Balule low water bridges are in my opinion the best places for giant and pied kingfishers. Biyamiti weir is very good for photographing pied and malachite kingfishers.

Also forgot that it should be a learning thread
While observing my kingfisher i could clearly see hw he killed and ate the fish
Bashed it with its head on a branch. Took a minute to do that. Then he struggled to turn the fish like a juggler so that the head came first . This is done to prevent that the spinny scales will hurt his guts.
The whole operation took roughly 2 to 3 minutes

In one of the past Veldfocus inserts on the SA nature programme 50/50 broadcasted on 10 October 2004, a viewer contributed photos of a immature Pied Kingfisher, at Lake Panic, hitting a stick against a branch, in much the same way a older bird will hit its prey item against the branch so well demonstrated in Bert’s photos.

This is the comment made by the presenter of the Veldfocus team:
The immature Pied Kingfisher smacks the stick against the perch in the same way that an adult Kingfisher would slap a fish against the perch with a sideways flicking action of the head. With this technique it can subdue or kill the prey so that it can be safely swallowed. Much of bird behavior is instinctive or genetically inherited but catching and subduing fish is still a difficult process to master.

Young birds will often practice on artifacts such as sticks until they are able to catch their own food. During this learning curve the youngsters will be fed by the parents while they are able to hone their feeding skills through play.

As most of you probably notice I have the bushveld and KNP thick in my veins but in 1991 I was working in the Southern Cape @ Mosgas . Did visit all the Cape Sanparks but always longed for the bush .

One wintery afternoon I was at Stilbaai and there was almost a gale blowing and I parked at a large tidal pool . To my utter amazement I saw a Pied Kingfisher doing his hovering flight above the water in the teeth of this gale . And then he did his dive and pulled out a fingerling . I was the event of my year - as exciting as a Lion kill .

For someone used to the lazy living Pied's at Sunset dam it was an unforgetable event , and I still cannot believe the powers of flight of the pied Kingfisher .

Pied Kingfisher on the low water bridge near Balule.



The kingfisher was about 1 meter from the car.

They are truely amazing little birds and always a joy to behold as they go about their fishing rituals.

I took this pic at the Lake Panic site, early June '06...

Lake Panic's pied pecking order line up.

Picture taken on a rainy day at the Lake Panic birdhide during the 2006 Kruger Birding weekend.



Pied Kingfisher looking for a break in the clouds

Pied seems to be the most common and widespread kingfisher. We have seen them from Still Bay on the south coast to Cunene river in north west Namibia.

I love the way they hover and then strike.