Kingfishers: Malachite, Striped, Grayhooded, Pied Kingfisher
Malachite Kingfishers are very beautiful, but quite tiny.This one has just caught a small fry. [Shinde Island, Botswana].
This is the same Malachite Kingfisher, as in the preceding image, spitting out the salty water which it had swallowed with the fry it just ate.(See previous image). [Shinde Island, Botswana].
Striped Kingfisher resting on a dead twig. {South Zambezi River, Zambia].
A close-up portrait of the preceding Striped Kingfisher [South Zambezi River, Zambia
These are 3 images of the same Grayhooded Kingfisher photograped in a woodlands swallowing a sizeable insect. It is a considerably larger bird than the Malachite. [Samburu, Kenya].
Gray-Hooded Kingfisher: This bird was sitting on a branch in the woodlands--of all places, for a kingfisher--when suddenly it darted out and caught this roach flying past. I thought the bird was going to choke, but it managed to get the insect down (See next image). [Samburu, Kenya].
Four Pied Kingfishers resting on a snag. (Matusadona, Zimbabwe)
A typical example of a Pied Kingfisher hovering before plunging into the water to grab a small fish.[S. Zambezi R.,Zambia]
Double Image of a pair of Pied Kingfishers near their nest, usually located on a mud-flat like the one shown here.
The next two images of a Pied Kingfisher having just caught a fairly large--for him--fish. It is fun to watch these little birds dive and catch their prey (see the preceding images).[Botswana].
A close-up view of the same Pied Kingfisher with a better grip on his catch. [Botswana].
Grayhooded Kingfisher: This bird is about to succeed in swallowing this large bug withot choking (see previous 2 images for complete story). [Samburu, Kenya].
