Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
| Size: | 17 cm |
| Habitat: | Lakes, rivers and coastal waters |
| Feeding: | Fish and large aquatic insects |
This is one of the most common Kingfishers in Africa. As the name suggests, it has black and white plummage with a long beak and a crest of feathers.
It hunts by hovering over water or from a branch before diving to catch its prey.
Interestingly, while staying at Funzi Keys in Kenya, these birds were diving into the swimming pool! There were no fish to be caught in the pool. We can only assume they were cleaning their feathers after fishing in the sea.
These photos were taken in the Amboseli National Park, Kenya and the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Click on any of the photographs on this site to see a larger image.
