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Pied Kingfisher
(Ceryle rudis)
Size: 25-27 cm (incl. bill, 5 cm)
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Pied Kingfishers are medium-sized kingfishers.
Their plumage
is all black-and-white.
The frons and crown are black, while the supercilia, that
continue into a band around the nape of the neck and into
the lower erectile crest, are white. The lores, ear coverts
and the lower nape of the neck form a wide black band,
while the rest of the neck, primarily the sides, and the
chin are white. The back, wings and uppertail are heavily
scalloped black-and-white, with black flight feathers that
show large white base patches in flight. The front and
undertail are white, except for black breast bands, in which
one finds the only small difference between the two sexes:
Female
Pied Kingfishers have only a single, broad breast band that is
broken in the middle, while
males
have a narrow second breast band.
The irises are black. The disproportionately long straight and
strong bill is dark-grey. The short legs and feet are also
dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Pied
Kingfisher at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Pied Kingfisher is available
HERE
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There are four races of Pied Kingfishers, which are, except for
regional seasonal movements, largely sedentary. Their overall
distribution ranges from isolated patches on the West coast
of Asia Minor and a small region on the East coast of the
Mediterranean Sea and the river Nile delta in north-eastern
Egypt in the West via the Euphrates/Tigris river downs in
Iraq into southern, central and eastern Asia, including India
and China. There is also a large population in sub-Saharan Africa
(with the exception of the Congo basin).
In Arabia Pied Kingfishers, nominate race "rudis", are
found mostly in the river lowlands of Euphrates and Tigris
in Iraq. They do reach Kuwait and are otherwise only found
as vagrants along the northern coastal fringe of the peninsula,
as far as northern Oman.
Since Pied Kingfishers can hover and devour prey in flight,
they can hunt above larger water masses than other species of kingfishers.
This is why they are more often found above lakes and in
the estuaries of major rivers and in intertidal wetlands.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "rudis"
We have not seen a Pied Kingfisher, race "rudis", in Oman yet.
The photos shown below were taken in Africa.
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Photos |
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Race "rudis"
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ADULT |
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FEMALE |
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Near-frontal view of a female Pied Kingfisher; note the characteristic
single, broken black breast band
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Near-frontal view of a female Pied Kingfisher
(photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)
Near-lateral view of a female Pied Kingfisher; note the characteristic
single, broken black breast band
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Lateral view of a female Pied Kingfisher with its crest
ruffled by wind (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[September 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Pied Kingfisher
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[September 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Pied Kingfisher
(photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)
Dorsal view of a Pied Kingfisher
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[September 2018]
Dorsal view of a Pied Kingfisher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
