Ceryle Research Articles

Flexible helper structure as an ecological adaptation in the pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis rudis L.)

The pied kingfisher has two types of helpers at the nest: primary ones, helping their own parents, and secondary ones, helping birds other than parents. Primary helpers are always accepted by breeding pairs, secondary helpers only in poor environmental conditions where the time and energy budget of parents is not sufficient for rearing the offspring alone. Under these conditions, helpers increase the breeding success of pairs (Tables 2 and 3) by providing additional food for the young (Table 4). Thus the flexible helper structure can be seen as an ecological adaptation. It is argued that-originating from a skewed sex ratio and breeding in colonies-this adaptation evolved through the combined effects of individual and kin selection.

FISHING TECHNIQUES AND FOODS OF THE PIED KINGFISHER ON LAKE VICTORIA IN UGANDA

Douthwaite, R. 3. 1976. Fishing techniques and foods of the Pied Kingfisher on Lake Victoria in Uganda. Ostrich 47: 153–160. Pied Kingfishers fish by diving from hovering flight or from perches; th...

MENSURAL AND MOULT DATA FROM A BREEDING COLONY OF PIED KINGFISHERS

Summary Sugg, M. St. J. 1974. Mensural and moult data from a breeding colony of Pied Kingfishers. Ostrich 45: 227–234. Pied Kingfishers were ringed over two breeding seasons at a breeding colony on the Kenyan shore of Lake Victoria. Data were collected on weight, wing and bill length, injury and moult. Bill abrasion and breakage from nest excavation was found in both sexes and regeneration of worn and broken bills was recorded. Adult birds of both sexes returned to the colony to breed but no juvenile was recaptured the year after hatching. Females are slightly larger than males (wing length) and both sexes showed a weight increase in the evening prior to roosting. Juveniles had shorter wings and bills than adults but their weights were similar. Their bills were short, soft, weak and the gape was salmon pink. No juveniles showed any moult. Adult moult records support the sequence and duration of moult suggested by Douthwaite (1971) though no overall decrease of moult activity was recorded during the breeding season.

Food Preferences and Feeding Habits of the Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

Food Preferences and Feeding Habits of the Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

Nesting habit of the Pied Kingfisher, Ceryle lugubris in Hokkaido

Observations on the breeding of Ceryle lugubris along Kushiro River, Hokkaido is reported. Nesting was observed from late May. The nest hole was dug below the upper edge of the river bank of loose volcanic ash. New hole was dug, not by detour, if there were hard object. The clutch size was 7. The nesting colony of R. riparia was at the same place.

The Edibility of Birds: Illustrated by Five Years' Experiments and Observations (1941–1946) on the Food Preferences of the Hornet, Cat and Man;and considered with Special Reference to the Theories of Adaptive Coloration

The Edibility of Birds: Illustrated by Five Years' Experiments and Observations (1941–1946) on the Food Preferences of the Hornet, Cat and Man;and considered with Special Reference to the Theories of Adaptive Coloration

The Edibility of Birds

IN the autumn of 1941 I happened to be preparing some bird-skins at Beni Suef, Middle Egypt, when a casual observation led to what has proved a somewhat fruitful and little-explored line of inquiry. A palm dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) and a pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) had been skinned and the carcases thrown aside. Hornets were very plentiful in the garden where I was working and soon collected on the meat; but they were seen to concentrate their visits on one carcase, leaving the other almost neglected. Closer inspection showed that it was the dove that was receiving their attentions:with the kingfisher they would have little to do.

Change in Gastric Digestion of Kingfishers with Development

Previous articleNext article No AccessShorter Articles and DiscussionChange in Gastric Digestion of Kingfishers with DevelopmentH. C. WhiteH. C. White Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The American Naturalist Volume 73, Number 745Mar. - Apr., 1939 Published for The American Society of Naturalists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/280827 Views: 4Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:R. J. Douthwaite FISHING TECHNIQUES AND FOODS OF THE PIED KINGFISHER ON LAKE VICTORIA IN UGANDA, Ostrich 47, no.44 (Oct 2010): 153–160.https://doi.org/10.1080/00306525.1976.9639555