NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK – THE FISHING KINGS!!! – By GARETH JONES

After plentiful rains this year, all of the rivers, streams and dams are well filled. The rains are always restoring and bring an abundance of new life. This includes many fish and aquatic creatures, that in turn attract species like kingfishers who feast on such protein abundance. Kingfishers are incredibly created and are always a pleasure to watch for those who take time to find them, they are pound for pound true “fishing kings” although some species also frequent woodland areas away from water.

Kingfishers are a group of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. There are roughly 90 different species of kingfisher in the world. The majority of species are found in Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America; some species in Europe and North America. They live along banks of rivers and lakes, forest and open woodland, a few species along seashores or in deserts. Most species are sedentary, but about a few species are migratory or partially migratory. Average life expectancy is about 6 to 14 years, depending on species.

Kingfishers are known for their looks: stocky body; long, thick bill; and striking colours and markings. Many kingfisher species are decked out in feathers of bright blue, green, turquoise, red, or gold. Some have splotches, dashes, stripes, or speckles. Their dagger-shaped bill often seems too long or too big for the rest of the bird, but it is well designed for capturing food. The smallest species of kingfisher is the African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina lecontei), which is around 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) long and weigh from 9 to 12 grams (0.3 to 0.4 ounces). Most kingfisher species are solitary, only pairing up with a mate during the breeding season. They are most active in the morning and evening, but if it’s not too hot, they may also hunt during the afternoon. Kingfishers feed on a wide variety of prey. They are most famous for hunting and eating fish, and some species do specialize entirely on catching fish.

Even kingfishers that eat mostly fish also eat other things on occasion, like crabs, crayfish, snails and frogs. Kingfishers that live in forests, grasslands and deserts have a different diet, dining on a variety of insects, spiders, reptiles (including snakes) and small mammals, which they catch by spying the prey from a perch and darting out to snap it up. All kingfishers have excellent vision and can see into the water – even adjusting for refraction, which can make a fish look closer to the surface than it really is. It has fast and direct flying, but it is also able to hover above the water when it searches and collects food.

Kingfishers are territorial, some species defending their territories vigorously. Kingfishers have a variety of calls used to announce their territory, warn off other birds, and communicate with a mate and their chicks, such as shrieks, screams, clicks, whistles, chuckles, rattles, and chirps. Kingfishers don’t build nests of sticks or plants. Instead, they nest in burrows that they dig into dirt banks, tree cavities, or old termite mounds. A male and female pair works together to create the burrow, taking turns digging out the soil with their feet. The burrow takes almost a week to complete, often sloping upward to avoid flooding and is usually about 1 to 2 meters long. The burrow ends in a nesting chamber that is about 200 – 300 mm wide and 150 – 170 mm high. This is where the eggs are laid and the chicks are raised. The female lays 2 to 10 white, unmarked eggs. Both parents take part in the incubation of eggs during a period of 3 – 4 weeks. The offsprings of the kingfisher usually stay with the parents for 3–4 months.

Many young kingfishers drown shortly after leaving the nest due to lack of flying experience. Because of the high mortality of young, kingfishers usually have two or three broods a year. The main predators of the kingfisher are birds of prey, jackals, small cats and snakes. Humans are also a major threat.

When a common kingfisher dives into the water to catch a meal, it often submerges completely in the water, folding its wings backwards to create a V shape. Their strike speed is very fast. So fast that it is not possible for a photographer to follow the entire movement of the bird from the perch to the water and back. Therefore in order to attempt to take photos of a Kingfisher striking the water and hopefully emerging with a catch, it is necessary to use some tactics that will enable the photographer to react in time to capture the moment. These tactics include trying to predict where the bird will strike the water next. Kingfishers like to keep clean and bathe by diving into the water and then perching in the sun to dry and preen their feathers. Some use their wings to scrub and scratch the top of their head. They also keep that impressive bill clean by scraping it against a branch until they are satisfied that the bill is in good condition.

According to the Checklist of birds of Nairobi – there are 6 species of kingfishers that frequent the park, ranging from rarely seen to commonly seen, namely Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, Pygmy Kingfishers, Brown-hooded Kingfishers, Grey-headed Kingfishers and Striped Kingfishers. Most kingfishers seemingly feed on fish as their name implies, however they also eat small aquatic creatures like frogs, insects and spiders. Their flight is fast and direct, thanks to their short wings.

It is very rewarding to watch “the fishing kings” often perched patiently on a reed stalk over the edge of the water. They sit quietly, and then suddenly strike at lightning speed, to hit the water and very often emerge with their catch in the beak. It’s also kind of funny that their name is male orientated, as there are also many queens among the kingfishers. Maybe their females should be ‘queenfishers’? Just joking!

The park has a great variety of birds, as many as 550 species at certain times and many have beautiful colours. I always find it a joy to see birds when driving in the park, God has created such amazing diversity. Next time you are in the park, try to sit quietly at a water point and enjoy the moments as you watch “the fishing kings” with their fantastic action.

The park is open daily from 06h00 to 19h00

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