White-throated & Common Kingfishers
Halcyon smyrnensis & Alcedo atthis
Two kingfishers share the lake edges. The White-throated Kingfisher is a large, spectacular bird with a massive crimson bill, a chocolate-brown head and belly, a white throat and breast, and a turquoise back and wings. The Common Kingfisher is much smaller, with an electric-blue back and orange underparts, and fishes from low perches over open water.
Species Ecological Profile
Sourced from high-confidence eBird and regional field surveys
Lakeshore wetlands, marshes, stream inlets, crop fields and wooded gardens. The White-throated Kingfisher is not strictly tied to water and often hunts in dry country; the Common Kingfisher stays close to clear water.
White-throated: an opportunistic carnivore taking small fish, tadpoles, freshwater crabs, lizards, rodents, earthworms and large insects. Common: dives for small fish and aquatic insects.
Both are resident, staying near the lake margins year-round.
March to July. Both species excavate a horizontal tunnel in a bank of soil or clay, ending in a wider, unlined chamber.
Extremely prominent around the lake. Can be seen perched on telephone wires, wooden boat docks, and willow branches overhanging the Naukuchiatal waters.
Photographic Log
Visual field records captured in Naukuchiatal (Click to enlarge)
