Kingfisher

KINGFISHER

Kingfishers are beautiful and majestic birds found worldwide. They are known for their bright colours and distinctive call.  To hear the belted kingfisher’s call use the following link: https://ebird.org/species/belkin1/. The Mi’kmaq people know the kingfishers as “Jikitli’kej” (Je-kit-le-kej). While this term refers to all kingfishers, there is only one species of kingfisher in Nova Scotia, the belted kingfisher. 

Identification

The belted kingfisher is a medium-sized bird, with the females being slightly larger than the males. While belted kingfishers are not as colourful as other kingfishers, they still have  very distinctive colours.  The females are brighter then the male, with a bright red-rust band across their chest and along the sides of their belly.  Both the males and females have a grey head with white around their eyes and neck, a very shaggy blue-grey chest, short legs and a long tail. They have a long black bill shaped like a dagger, which helps them hunt.

Habitat

In Nova Scotia, the belted kingfisher can be found around rivers, lakes and salt water, but their preferred habitat is forested streams. Between spring and fall, they nest in the banks and in perches overlooking the water. Once the water starts to freeze, they migrate south to warmer areas such as Mexico or the southern USA.  Kingfishers are territorial and the pair will defend their territory from other kingfishers during breeding season.

Lifecycle

Kingfishers have one partner and mate with their partner each year. They nest in holes dug into the ground with a chamber at the end, on the side of rivers or in ditches.  If the hole they dig isn’t properly built or is disturbed, it can cause a cave-in, trapping or killing the bird; this is important to know if you suspect there is a nest in an area near you. You can protect the nest by blocking off the area with tape and avoiding traveling around it.

Kingfishers lay six to seven white eggs every year; the male and females take turns looking after the eggs and after hatching, they take turns getting food. The young stay in the nest for 27 to 29 days and are be able to feed themselves after three weeks.

Diet

Kingfishers are predators and are recognized as powerful hunters, using their specialized beak, which is long and thin. They have strong ridges on their beak that prevents fish from slipping out. They are known to occasionally eat crustaceans, amphibians, snakes and some insects. To hunt, they sit on a high perch where they can watch their prey; when they are ready, they plunge head first into the water or at the prey. They bring their catch up to their perch and consume it whole. They then cough up pellets of parts that they can’t digest such as scales and bone (like owls). These pellets can be found around their perches on the ground below.

Threats

Kingfisher populations have decreased significantly over the last few years and some species, such as the belted kingfisher, are considered at risk, while others are critically endangered. The decrease in the population is probably caused by the destruction of nests on shore banks and by decreased water quality.  Human activities associated with deforestation cause large amount of habitat loss for kingfishers and this allows other species to take over their habitat.

Biomimicry

Kingfishers dive from the air into the water at high speeds. Surprisingly, there is very little splash when they enter the water. Scientists believe this is because of the particular shape of their beak and heads.

High speed Japanese trains (“bullet trains”) were going so fast, up to 300 km/h, that they made loud booms when exiting tunnels. Wildlife was being disturbed, and people were complaining. In order to solve this problem, one of the engineers (who was also a birdwatcher) suggested they try and copy the shape of the kingfisher head. They modified the front of the train with a new kingfisher-head-inspired shape. The train now has a pointed, elongated front (https://earthsky.org/earth/sunni-robertson-on-how-a-kingfisher-inspired-a-bullet-train) and no longer makes loud noises, so doesn’t disturb people or nature. And, because the train is now so aerodynamic, it actually goes even faster and uses less electricity.

                                                                                                                         Emilie Knighton