Kingfisher Species Research Articles

Orientation, thermal characteristics and structural dimensions of Mangrove Kingfisher Halcyon senegaloides nest cavities in arboreal termitaria in central Mozambique

The breeding ecology of the Mangrove Kingfisher Halcyon senegaloides (family Alcedinidae) remains poorly known. While the few nests recorded in southern and East Africa have been in tree hollows, a seasonal population in central Mozambique woodland breeds in cavities in arboreal termitaria. Despite this breeding strategy being widely recorded in many tropical kingfisher species, it has received little research attention in the Afrotropical realm. We report on the siting and structural characteristics of arboreal termitaria used as nesting sites by Mangrove Kingfishers in central Mozambique and document the thermal dynamics of a nesting cavity in an arboreal termitarium. Arboreal termitaria (average volume 40.1 ± 23.8 l) occurred at a density of 0.52 ± 0.22 termitaria ha−1 in large trees or shrubs, mostly of the families Fabaceae and Malvaceae. Termitaria containing nest cavities were situated 10.8 ± 3.1 m above the ground, and most nests (78.6%) faced north. Nest cavity temperatures averaged 31.4 ± 2.6 °C, which is warmer and more stable than the average ambient temperatures of 28.7 ± 4.0 °C. ‘Carton’ termitaria (comprising a mixture of faecal matter and wood fragments) are thus believed to confer a thermal advantage for summer-nesting Mangrove Kingfishers.

Diet of White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis [Linnaeus, 1758]: Alcedinidae: Coraciiformes) inferred from pictorial postings in social media

White-throated kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis (family Alcedinidae, order Coraciiformes) is known to distribute widely in Asia, including Sinai Peninsula, South Asia, China, until Southeast Asia. As each population has become resident to their respective range, it has adapted to its environment which effect on diet they eat. Recall that the wide distribution of this kingfisher, it is difficult to do field survey to observe the range of its dietary. This study aims to do an inventory on the diet of white-throated kingfisher by using social media as survey platform. Instagram and Facebook were surveyed by making inquiries using keywords such as ‘white-throated kingfisher,’ ‘Halcyon smyrnensis,’ and other terms related to this kingfisher species. The query specifically sought pictorial postings instead of non-pictorial ones, in order to analyze preys’ classification. More than 1,200 posts were retrieved from the two social media, yet only 89 posts counted as they showed predation activities by this species. Identification on the preys signifies that they consist of arthropods (27.0%), fishes (19.1%), amphibians (13.5%), reptiles (20.2%), other birds (6.7%), mammal (1.1%) and unknown prey items (12.4%). Including into these preys were monitor lizard, munia, locusts, crickets, beetles, cockroaches, and snails which may become pests in agricultural area. The wide array of diet consumed by white-throated kingfisher not only proves its opportunistic nature in preying food items, nevertheless it also provides opportunity to use this bird as natural biological control in agricultural system.

Genomic signatures of convergent shifts to plunge-diving behavior in birds

Understanding the genetic basis of convergence at broad phylogenetic scales remains a key challenge in biology. Kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae) are a cosmopolitan avian radiation with diverse colors, diets, and feeding behaviors—including the archetypal plunge-dive into water. Given the sensory and locomotor challenges associated with air-water transitions, kingfishers offer a powerful opportunity to explore the effects of convergent behaviors on the evolution of genomes and phenotypes, as well as direct comparisons between continental and island lineages. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing of 30 diverse kingfisher species to identify the genomic signatures associated with convergent feeding behaviors. We show that species with smaller ranges (i.e., on islands) have experienced stronger demographic fluctuations than those on continents, and that these differences have influenced the dynamics of molecular evolution. Comparative genomic analyses reveal positive selection and genomic convergence in brain and dietary genes in plunge-divers. These findings enhance our understanding of the connections between genotype and phenotype in a diverse avian radiation.

Long-term anthropogenic stressors cause declines in kingfisher assemblages in wetlands in southwestern India

Fragile wetland habitats are susceptible to multiple threats from anthropogenic activities. Direct waste deposition, habitat modification and overexploitation of fish have caused alternations in food webs in wetlands. Kingfishers are ecological indicators with the potential ability to respond to the minute changes in their microenvironment. Their abundance and distribution at wetland habitats are affected by multiple environmental factors. We studied the kingfisher assemblages in India to determine proximate and ultimate causes of their decline. We recorded the abundance of five species of kingfishers across five wetland habitats from 2011 to 2020 in Kerala, southwest coast of India. Kingfishers were counted twice in a month between 6.00 and 12.00 hrs. Air temperature, water temperature, humidity and turbidity were recorded. We measured fish diversity and abundance and organic waste as an additional explanatory variable. One-way ANOVA, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model and structural equation modelling were used to determine which explanatory variables affected kingfisher populations. Air temperature, water temperature and turbidity increased significantly during the study and had negative effects on the abundance of kingfishers. Humidity decreased significantly but had no effect on the kingfisher abundance. Fish abundance declined and had a strong positive effect on the abundance of kingfishers. The analysis of incidence of wastes across the study areas revealed that, all the sites were severely polluted. We also observed drastic decline in the abundance of all the species of kingfishers studied across the sites with a rapid decline in Pied Kingfisher and slower decline in White-throated Kingfisher. Black-capped Kingfisher is a local migrant to the study areas and is already red listed and categorized as Vulnerable (VU). This study suggests that kingfisher assemblages are declining along with the health status of the habitat. Urgent action is needed to help in designing and implementing effective management strategies for the sustainability of wetlands in the region.

Perch selection of three species of kingfishers at the Pantanal of Brazil

Selecting a suitable perch can offer many benefits for fish–eating birds such as kingfishers. However, factors affecting perch selection in these species remain poorly studied. We studied perch selection in three species of kingfishers inhabiting the Pantanal of Brazil during the dry season: Megaceryle torquata, Chloroceryle amazon, and Chloroceryle americana. First,we determined the habitat use of the three species. We then assessed the perches these kingfishers used based on four ecologically relevant traits: (1) artificial or natural, (2) perch height, (3) distance to the water, and (4) plant cover. We hypothesized that artificial perches could be more likely selected as they may offer better visibility to fish. We used a resource selection function (RSF), in a case/control design, solving it by model selection of six conditional logistic regression competing models. The probability of presence was independent of the artificial origin of a perch for the three species. It was also independent of the other studied variables, except for individuals of C. amazona, which selected higher perches. We conclude that artificial perches do not influence perch selection of the studied kingfishers, which may indicate that these artificial structures are not altering their behavioral choices.

New insights on the use of bill sheath as a biomonitoring tool for mercury in two kingfisher species: A comparison with different tissues

Bird species have been widely used as suitable bioindicators of environmental mercury (Hg). However, there is still some debate about the most suitable tissue to indicate Hg body burden in birds. For a long time, blood and feathers have proved to be relevant to monitor Hg at different time scales, and recently, bill sheath has been suggested as a potential tissue to this end. In the present study, we evaluated THg in muscle, liver, feathers, claws, and bill sheath in two waterbird species (i.e. the ringed and the Amazon kingfishers) from the Teles Pires, Juruena and Paraguay rivers. Considering all species and sites, feathers (5.47 ± 2.15 μg/g) and bill sheath (3.39 ± 1.37 μg/g) had mean THg concentrations about 2-, 3- and 10-times higher than claws, liver and muscle, respectively. When bird species were segregated, the ringed kingfisher showed THg values 1.8 times higher than the Amazon kingfisher in all tissues. Moreover, results showed that the Amazon kingfisher from the Juruena and Teles Pires rivers was clearly separated from the Paraguay River (control site), and was associated with higher THg values in the claws and feathers. Results obtained for the THg concentrations in bill sheath, muscle and liver tissues of the Amazon kingfisher using multivariate analysis of canonical variates (CVA) showed a pattern of segregation between the sampling areas, being the highest THg values in Teles Pires River samples. The largest bill sheath vector in the CVA suggests that this tissue is a key variable in the segregation of the samples. Overall, feathers may be useful for effects monitoring or spatial patterns, whereas bill sheath, which are more invasive, may be advantejous for temporal trends and retrospective studies of Hg pollution.

Conservation prioritization through combined approach of umbrella species selection, occupancy estimation, habitat suitability and connectivity analysis of kingfisher: A study from an internationally important wetland complex (Ramsar site) in India

Assessment of occupancy status, as well as projection of suitable habitats and connectivity of wetland indicator species, and thereby identification of potential conservation umbrella and projection of conservation priority areas are often considered important for wetland conservation. Kingfishers are wetland indicators and suffer from habitat degradation due to world-wide destruction of wetlands. Therefore, they can be considered potential candidates for conservation intervention. The present knowledge about the spatial distribution of suitable areas and habitat connectivity of kingfishers at a landscape level is non-existent. We conducted extensive surveys and recorded four kingfisher species in East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW; Ramsar site No. 1208; ∼125 km2). The occupancy estimates were highest for White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis, WTK), followed by common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis, CK), stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis, SBK) and lowest for pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis, PK). WTK has the highest amount of suitable areas followed by CK, PK and SBK. The spatial overlap of suitable habitats showed that SBK is the potential umbrella species and therefore provides conservation benefits to other kingfisher species and eventually to the EKW. In addition to water areas, emergent vegetation, crop lands and tree cover are other important habitats for kingfishers. The connectivity analyses revealed that suitable habitats were disjunct and are under various anthropogenic threats. Therefore, we need to protect suitable habitats and connectivity between them. Finally, we identified conservation priority areas. Conservation intervention on these high priority zones will not only be beneficial for kingfishers, but also for other avifauna having similar resource requirements as well as the wetland parse.

Two lineages of kingfisher feather lice exhibit differing degrees of cospeciation with their hosts.

Unlike most bird species, individual kingfisher species (Aves: Alcedinidae) are typically parasitized by only a single genus of louse (Alcedoffula, Alcedoecus, or Emersoniella). These louse genera are typically specific to a particular kingfisher subfamily. Specifically, Alcedoecus and Emersoniella parasitize Halcyoninae, whereas Alcedoffula parasitizes Alcedininae and Cerylinae. Although Emersoniella is geographically restricted to the Indo-Pacific region, Alcedoecus and Alcedoffula are geographically widespread. We used DNA sequences from two genes, the mitochondrial COI and nuclear EF-1α genes, to infer phylogenies for the two geographically widespread genera of kingfisher lice, Alcedoffula and Alcedoecus. These phylogenies included 47 kingfisher lice sampled from 11 of the 19 currently recognized genera of kingfishers. We compared louse phylogenies to host phylogenies to reconstruct their cophylogenetic history. Two distinct clades occur within Alcedoffula, one that infests Alcedininae and a second that infests Cerylinae. All species of Alcedoecus were found only on host species of the subfamily Halcyoninae. Cophylogenetic analysis indicated that Alcedoecus, as well as the clade of Alcedoffula occurring on Alcedininae, do not show evidence of cospeciation. In contrast, the clade of Alcedoffula occurring on Cerylinae showed strong evidence of cospeciation.

Diversification of a ‘great speciator’ in the Wallacea region: differing responses of closely related resident and migratory kingfisher species (Aves: Alcedinidae:Todiramphus)

The Collared Kingfisher species complex is the most widespread of the ‘great speciator’ lineages of the Indo‐Pacific. They have shown a remarkable ability to spread and diversify. As a result of this rapid diversification,Todiramphusspecies are often found in secondary sympatry. In Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, twoTodiramphusspecies are present, the breeding resident Collared KingfisherTodiramphus chlorisand the overwintering migratory Sacred KingfisherTodiramphus sanctus. We investigated the effect of isolation on these closely related species by comparing their populations on mainland Sulawesi and its larger continental islands, with populations on the small, oceanic Wakatobi Islands. Within our wider analysis we provide further support for the distinctiveness of the Sulawesi Collared Kingfisher population, perhaps isolated by the deep water barrier of Wallace's line. Within Sulawesi we found that populations of Collared Kingfisher on the Wakatobi Islands had diverged from those on mainland Sulawesi, differing both in morphology and in mitochondrial DNA. In contrast, there was no divergence between Sacred Kingfisher populations in either morphology or mitochondrial DNA. We propose that a difference in habitat occupied by Collared Kingfisher populations between the mainland and continental islands vs. oceanic islands has caused this divergence. Mainland Collared Kingfishers are predominately found inland, whereas Wakatobi Collared Kingfishers are also found in coastal habitats. The larger body size of Wakatobi Collared Kingfisher populations may be a result of increased competition with predominantly coastal Sacred Kingfisher populations. The uniform nature of Sacred Kingfisher populations in this region probably reflects their consistent habitat choice (coastal mangrove) and their migratory nature. The demands of their breeding range are likely to have an even stronger selective influence than their Sulawesi wintering range, limiting their scope for divergence. These results provide insight into the adaptability of the widespreadTodiramphuslineage and are evidence of the need for further taxonomic revision of Collared Kingfisher populations.

A phylogeny of kingfishers reveals an Indomalayan origin and elevated rates of diversification on oceanic islands

AbstractAimKingfishers are the most species‐rich family in the avian order, Coraciiformes. Their modern distribution is largely pantropical; however, global species diversity is unevenly distributed. For example, 19 of the 114 kingfisher species occur in New Guinea, whereas only six species occur in the entire New World. This disparity in diversity suggests regions with high species richness could represent the ancestral range of the family. Furthermore, some clades of kingfishers (Ceyx, Todiramphus) are thought to be the product of rapid insular radiations. Here, we investigated the biogeographical history and speciation dynamics of the Alcedinidae using a fully sampled molecular phylogeny.LocationGlobal.TaxonKingfishers (Aves: Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae).MethodsWe inferred a time‐calibrated, species‐level phylogeny of kingfishers from DNA sequences. Our data set comprised up to five Sanger‐sequenced gene regions for all species (one mitochondrial, one nuclear exon and three nuclear introns), plus genus‐level sampling of thousands of ultraconserved elements. We estimated ancestral ranges of kingfishers and explored macroevolutionary rate shifts and diversification rates across the phylogeny.ResultsWe recovered a well‐supported phylogeny of kingfishers that includes 34 species whose phylogenetic relationships were not previously known. The pygmy‐kingfishers (subfamily Alcedininae) sit on a long branch, sister to all other kingfishers: subfamilies Cerylinae and Halcyoninae. Crown‐group kingfishers originated in the Indomalayan region approximately 27 Ma with subsequent colonizations into Africa (six times), the New World (twice) and Australasia (representing several major radiations).Main conclusionsOceanic islands of Wallacea, the Philippines and Oceania promoted multiple, independent radiations in three species‐rich genera: Ceyx, Actenoides and Todiramphus. In particular, Todiramphus showed patterns consistent with explosive and recent diversification relative to the background speciation rate of non‐Todiramphus kingfishers, which we attribute to recent colonization of the vast archipelagos of Wallacea and the Pacific.

Habitat Analysis of Stork-Billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) and Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) at the Chittagong University Campus, Bangladesh

The habitat analysis of stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis Linnaeus, 1766) and pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis Linnaeus, 1758) was done at the Chittagong University Campus, Chittagong, Bangladesh during January 2011 to December 2013. The both kingfisher species used five types of habitat (pond, lake, stream, agricultural land/channel and tree), of which trees were used maximum (43.23%) and agricultural lands/channels were minimum (3.76%) by stork-billed kingfisher; whereas pied kingfisher spent the highest time (40.66%) in the streams and the lowest (11.67%) in the agricultural lands/channels. Four types of perching places (fence, wire, bamboo and tree) were used by both kingfisher species, of which trees were used maximum (68.89%) and wires minimum (2.78%) by stork-billed kingfisher; while pied kingfisher spent the highest (53.43%) time on fences and the lowest (4.78%) on wires.Bangladesh J. Zool. 43(2): 251-268, 2015

Activity patterns of pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) and stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) at the Chittagong university campus, Bangladesh

The activity patterns of pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis Linnaeus, 1758) and stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis Linnaeus, 1766) were studied in the Chittagong University Campus, Chittagong, Bangladesh, during January 2011 to December 2013. Eight activities (resting/perching, bathing, flying, feeding, calling, preening, hovering and diving) were observed in this study, of which pied kingfisher performed all eight activities and stork-billed kingfisher performed all except bathing and hovering. Both kingfisher species spent the maximum (pied kingfisher: 31.87%; stork-billed kingfisher: 45.82%) time in resting/perching and the minimum (pied kingfisher: 4.83%; stork-billed kingfisher: 1.90%) in preening. Pied kingfishers were mostly (28.3%) active during 0700 and 0900 h and stork- billed kingfishers were more (31.17%) active in between 0901-1100 h. Pied kingfishers spent their highest (9.01%) time in different activities in August and the lowest (7.68%) in February, whereas storkbilled kingfishers spent the maximum (8.69%) time in March and the minimum (7.80%) in May.Bangladesh J. Zool. 42(2): 191-203, 2014

Bioaccumulation of Trace Mercury in Trophic Levels of Benthic, Benthopelagic, Pelagic Fish Species, and Sea Birds from Arvand River, Iran

In this study, concentration of mercury was determined in the trophic levels of benthic, benthopelagic, pelagic fish species, and river birds from Arvand River, located in the Khuzestan province in the lowlands of southwestern Iran at the head of the Persian Gulf. The order of mercury concentrations in tissues of the fish species was as follows: liver>gill>muscle and in tissues of the kingfisher species was as follows: feather>liver>kidney>muscle. Therefore, liver in fish and feather in kingfisher exhibited higher mercury concentration than the other tissues. There was a positive correlation between mercury concentrations in fish and kingfisher species with size of its food items. We expected to see higher mercury levels in tissues of female species because they are larger and can eat larger food items. The results of this study show that the highest mean mercury level were found in the kingfisher (Anas crecca), followed by benthic (Epinephelus diacanthus), benthopelagic (Chanos chanos), and pelagic fish (Strongylura strongylura). Mean value of mercury in fish species, S. strongylura were (0.61 μg g−1 dry weight), C. chanos (0.45 μg g−1 dry weight), E. diacanthus (0.87 μg g−1 dry weight), and in kingfisher species A. crecca was (2.64 μg g−1 dry weight). Significant correlation between mercury concentration in fish and kingfisher may be related to high variability of mercury in the fish.

Aerial Ramming, a Burrow Excavation Behavior by Belted Kingfishers, with a Review of its Occurrence among the Alcedinidae

We observed a pair of Belted Kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) as they initiated burrow excavation in a bank along Rattlesnake Creek near Missoula, Montana in April 2010. During 180 min of observation on the first three mornings (17–19 Apr) of burrow excavation we observed the kingfishers fly rapidly at the bank from perched or hovering distances of 1–3 m and strike the bank bill-first 176 times, forming a pit in the vertical bank about body-deep after 60 hrs of work. Both sexes performed aerial ramming, at roughly the same rate. On the fourth morning we saw no ramming during 40 min of observation while excavation continued, but the site was abandoned later in the day. Aerial ramming at the start of burrow excavation appeared necessary because (1) the bank was vertical to overhanging without exposed roots, providing no opportunity for the birds to perch at the excavation site when beginning to dig, and (2) the birds seemed unable to strike the substrate with sufficient force to promote excavation while perched on the bank or hovering at the burrow entrance until several days into excavation, perhaps due to the presence of imbedded gravel and cobble in the soil. At least 13 species of kingfishers in the subfamilies Alcedininae and Daceloninae are reported to aerial ram into potential burrow sites (banks, termitaria, trees). Ours appears to be the first report of aerial ramming by the Belted Kingfisher and a member of the subfamily Cerylinae.

Bird species richness in a Bornean exotic tree plantation: A long-term perspective

To provide sustainable income from forestlands, large areas in the tropics are planted with “agricultural” trees, such as oil palm and rubber, and “industrial” trees, such as Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea. To examine how native forest birds use such plantations, we surveyed in 2005 the avifauna at Sabah Softwoods, a plantation in southeastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We focused on A. mangium, Albizia ( Paraserianthes falcataria), oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis), and logged native forest, and compared our results to those of a study conducted at the same plantation in 1982. The number of forest species in the industrial groves did not change dramatically between 1982 and 2005, even though the trees had been cropped several times and the plantation was, by 2005, completely surrounded by cleared land and far removed from primary forest. However, as is common in logged or isolated forests throughout the world, certain primary forest groups (e.g., muscicapine flycatchers) have been extirpated from the entire plantation area. The industrial groves also lacked some larger species of kingfisher, woodpeckers, and canopy frugivores. Nevertheless, numerous primary forest taxa (ca. 50% of species) were found in mature industrial tree groves. Albizia attracted the most species of birds, followed closely by Acacia. Both tree types underpinned relatively complex secondary forests that attracted forest birds. In contrast, younger groves of Acacia and Albizia held mainly open country and scrub species. Oil palm, as a remarkably simple and unusual habitat, attracted few bird species. Sustained occurrence of forest birds in all groves of exotic trees at Sabah Softwoods was substantially enhanced by the relatively rich avifauna of the logged native forest remaining in substantial stands throughout the plantation.

Food-niche differentiation in sympatric species of kingfishers, the Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis and the Greater Pied Kingfisher Ceryle lugubris

Abstract The Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis and the Greater Pied Kingfisher Ceryle lugubris breed sympatrically along the Chikuma River in central Japan. These kingfisher species differ in body size, with the latter being much larger than the former. To understand the potential mechanisms that might play a role in food-niche differentiation between these two species, we studied their foraging ecology in the breeding seasons of 2005 and 2006. Specifically, we compared the foraging habitat, foraging behavior, and food delivered to nestlings between the two kingfishers. We video-recorded the food delivered to nestlings during the day, and our results indicated that these species differed in their foraging ecology in several respects: (1) Common Kingfishers caught prey at sites where the water flow was calm, while Greater Pied Kingfishers hunted at sites where the water flowed rapidly; (2) Greater Pied Kingfishers dove from a higher position and caught fish in deeper water than Common Kingfishers; and (3) Co...

Mercury levels in selected tissues of three kingfisher species; Ceryle rudis, Alcedo atthis, and Halcyon smyrnensi, from Shadegan Marshes of Iran

This study presents concentrations of mercury in tissues (feather, kidney, liver, and muscle) of three kingfisher species from Shadegan Marshes located in the Khuzestan province in the lowlands of southwestern Iran at the head of the Persian Gulf. The order of mercury concentrations in tissues of all the kingfishers such as pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) and white-breasted kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) was as follows: feather > kidney > liver > muscle. No significant difference was detected in mercury tissue levels between species of birds. Liver mercury concentration was positively correlated with kidney mercury levels in all of the three species of kingfishers. Although, the average levels of mercury we observed in these birds were below levels known to be associated with adverse behavioral or reproductive effects, mercury levels in some individual birds exceeded adverse effect level.

The habitat preference of four kingfisher species along a branch of the Kilombero River, southern Tanzania

Several factors have been found to influence kingfisher habitat use, including perch height (Monadjem, OwenSmith & Kemp, 1994), diet (Woodall, 1991; Libois & Laudelout, 2004), water quality (Douthwaite, 1982), river depth (Monadjem, 1996), river width and river speed (Peris & Rodriguez, 1996). Comparisons of the habitat preferences of different African kingfisher species have in the past mainly concerned the influence of single habitat variables on kingfisher presence [for example Monadjem et al. (1994) compared perch height preferences between Giant kingfisher (Ceryle maxima), Half-collared kingfisher (Alcedo semitorquata) and Pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)]. In this study, by regarding multiple habitat variables we compare the habitat preferences of four African species of kingfisher: Giant, Half-collared, Pied and Malachite (Alcedo cristata), along the Kilombero River, southern Tanzania. Riverine habitat of the Kilombero River is cleared for purposes such as agriculture and livestock grazing and this may negatively affect the resident bird community (Baker & Baker, 2002). We aim to highlight those habitat variables that influence kingfisher habitat use, in an area experiencing moderate levels of anthropogenic pressure. Materials and methods

Food niche segregation between the Malachite Kingfisher, Alcedo cristata, and the Pied Kingfisher, Ceryle rudis, at Lake Nokoué, Bénin

Several species of kingfisher occur on Lake Nokoué, southern Bénin, including Malachite (Alcedo cristata) and Pied Kingfishers (Ceryle rudis). Here, we compare their diet and estimate the degree of overlap in food niche by analysing contents of regurgitated pellets collected near nesting sites of Pied Kingfishers or inside the nest chambers of Malachite Kingfishers. Characteristic fish skull bones were identified using a reference collection of local fish skeletons. Malachite Kingfishers feed most frequently on fish that occur around floating vegetation, mainly Kribia sp. (56%), Hemichromis fasciatus (28%) and Sarotherodon melanotheron (8%). Important differences were found between different pairs, and between adults and nestlings, the latter being fed almost exclusively on Kribia sp. Larger fish are fed to nestlings than are eaten by the adults. Pied Kingfishers prey upon 14 different fish species, some of them being caught in the pelagic region of the lake, particularly clupeids taken by hovering. By comparison with Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers feed on a wider diversity of prey, and take larger fish, so that the dietary overlap between the species is relatively low (O = 0.181).

The influence of water depth on foraging location of two species of kingfisher and two species of cormorant on the Sabie River within the Kruger National Park

The influence of water depth on foraging location of two species of kingfisher and two species of cormorant on the Sabie River within the Kruger National Park