South African Pied Kingfisher, Malawi
"The pied kingfisher is a skilled hunter with remarkable abilities and interesting habits. The species is definitely one of Africa’s most interesting black and white animals.
If you evoke a kingfisher image, you see its unmistakable dagger beak. Well, the pied kingfisher is even more recognizable due to its simple black and white colors and its comparatively larger size.
It is one of the most largely populated species, ranking in the top three. These high numbers could be due to its specialized hunting abilities, which no other kingfisher species possesses.
The distinctive hunting technique of pied kingfishers has earned the species a few records. Not only are they the largest hovering bird. But they are also the only kingfishers with the ability to perform a figure of eight wing stroke.
They hunt by hovering 50-65 feet above the water and then diving headfirst (or rather, bill-first) into the water. Pied kingfishers demonstrate spectacular speed and agility on the hunt."
South African Pied Kingfisher, Malawi
"The pied kingfisher is a skilled hunter with remarkable abilities and interesting habits. The species is definitely one of Africa’s most interesting black and white animals.
If you evoke a kingfisher image, you see its unmistakable dagger beak. Well, the pied kingfisher is even more recognizable due to its simple black and white colors and its comparatively larger size.
It is one of the most largely populated species, ranking in the top three. These high numbers could be due to its specialized hunting abilities, which no other kingfisher species possesses.
The distinctive hunting technique of pied kingfishers has earned the species a few records. Not only are they the largest hovering bird. But they are also the only kingfishers with the ability to perform a figure of eight wing stroke.
They hunt by hovering 50-65 feet above the water and then diving headfirst (or rather, bill-first) into the water. Pied kingfishers demonstrate spectacular speed and agility on the hunt."