The Pied Kingfisher is one of several kingfishers in The Gambia. Where there is water you will find this bird. Also, a photographers dream in so much as it hovers four metres or so above the water waiting for the perfect moment to drop down and claim its prey.
About forty-five minutes walk from Footsteps there is an inlet of water being fed from the sea. We often walk our dogs there, who love the water and so we get to see Pied kingfisher showing us their skill at holding perfectly still in mid air.
The images below were supplied by Jan Erik Roer. ( click to enlarge 😉 )
Where can we find the Pied Kingfisher?
As mentioned earlier, this member of the kingfisher family can be found about forty-five minutes walk from us at a small inlet fed from the sea.
Furthermore, in The Gambia this delightful bird is fairly common and wherever there is water.
What does it look like?
The Pied kingfisher as its name suggests is a black and white pied. Males have a double band across the breast, while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. This is a medium-sized kingfisher, about 25 cm (9.8 in) long with a white and a black mask, a white supercilium and black breast bands. The crest is neat and the upper parts are barred in black. Source Wikipedia
What does it feed on?
This kingfisher feeds mainly on fish, although it has been known to eat crustaceans and also large aquatic insects such as dragonfly larvae.
Want to know an interesting Factoid?
These impressive hunters have been known to fly at speeds of nearly fifty kph
How does it sound?
Its calls are loud and repetitive with sharp chirruk chirruk notes.