Adaptable, Common, Widespread… Sacred Kingfishers

By alyte on January 20, 2013 in Other

Kingfishers vary in size from the relatively large and obvious Laughing Kookaburra to the diminutive and secretive Little Kingfisher of the tropical north that is smaller than a sparrow. The most common of the medium-sized kingfishers are the Sacred Kingfishers that are about half the size of kookaburras and appear much slimmer. They are widespread in summer in the Sydney region, with most of them arriving from the north in September.

Sacred Kingfishers are attractive, brightly coloured birds. Adult males are mostly peacock blue and green above with light buff underparts. They have an off-white collar and a broad black band through the eyes to the nape, with a small pale spot in front of each eye. Females are similar but duller.

Usually seen alone, Sacred Kingfishers only pair up to breed. When establishing nesting territories in spring, they call constantly from obvious perches on overhead wires or exposed dead branches. At this time their high-pitched staccato calls, made up of four or five notes, are monotonously repeated throughout the day. Following successful breeding, family groups may be seen for a brief period, but these soon disperse in autumn when the birds become silent and solitary.

Sacred Kingfishers are the most widespread and familiar small kingfishers in open forest and woodland. They can be seen and heard along streams and river margins, near dams and lakes, along seashores, in mangroves and mudflats, on islands and golf courses, and in urban parks. They occur throughout mainland Australia except in the arid interior. They are scarce but regular non-breeding visitors to Tasmania and also occur on islands from Australasia to Indonesia and New Zealand. They are resident in northern Australia and regular spring/summer migrants further south, from Brisbane to southwest WA. They are not uncommon in the suburbs and breed regularly in Centennial Park in summer. A few may overwinter in the Sydney region when they prefer mangroves and seashore habitats.

Small lizards, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and their larvae, earthworms, fish, crayfish and crabs, frogs, mice and baby small birds are all on the menu for Sacred Kingfishers. They spend a lot of time perched on small, bare, fairly low branches, sitting very still, occasionally bobbing their heads as they watch for their next meal. Mostly they pounce or dive onto prey, catching it in their bills, sometimes without landing. Successful birds then return to the perch and bash their victim vigorously before swallowing it – usually whole.

Starlings sometimes evict Sacred Kingfishers from their nest holes and they are sometimes killed by cats or by motor vehicles. On migration they also fly into windows, often with fatal results. Despite these problems they are secure and appear to be of little conservation concern. They are adaptable birds able to exploit temperate, dry tropical, seashore and mangrove habitats, and partial removal of trees has favoured them. Their numbers increased inland over the first half of the twentieth century and, despite regional variations, have continued to do so into the new millennium.