Update: Kingfisher Family
Female kingfisher pauses momentarily before bringing fish to the chicks
The oldest photo I have of this kingfisher couple courting and copulating goes back to early March ‘22. That means I’ve been following this couple for nearly three months now.
I must admit I’ve become totally attached to them and feel very protective of them. When they don’t show up as often as they normally do, I wonder why and become rather worried.
It’s important, however, to remember that they are wild birds and therefore behave and do as nature dictates them. Also, as an observer, one must rely on knowledge, insight, your own observation record and a little imagination to extrapolate what stage of parenting they are in at any given time.
As any birder following a pair would be at this time of year, I’m anxious to see the moment when the chicks fledge. But without a nest cam (!) how can we know when that is likely to happen?
I’ve found this blog run by a Japanese kingfisher aficionado, Mr Kondoh, who fortunately had first-hand insight into the breeding calendar of kingfishers in Japan. Of particular use to me, out of his wealth of information on the subject was to use the size of fish the parents bring as an indicator of how big/grown the chicks are. The picture of the female kingfisher above was taken recently. According to him, this is ‘extra large’, with the fish head dangling from the tip of her beak. That implies the chicks are fairly grown to be able to swallow fish that size whole. Another noteworthy observation I can add is both parents when they come back with fish, pause momentarily on a nearby branch and check the coast is clear, so as not to let potential predators know the exact location of the nest.
Excitingly, there seems to be a pattern to the feeding, too. While I watched, feeding seemed to take place three times in short succession each time - which possibly means they have at least three chicks inside at the moment.
A little accident inside the nest???
Another important photographic evidence that their eggs have definitely hatched is this. I didn’t think much of this when I took it but back at home when zoomed in, it clearly shows she was squirted or she touched faeces as she either entered or exited from the nest. It’s an encouraging sign that their chicks are, although not visible yet, alive and kicking.
Bathed and refreshed. Her chest slightly glistening.
One another critical piece of information Mr Kondoh shares on his blog is feeding frenzy takes place once in the morning (as in breakfast) and later in the afternoon (dinner). This more or less holds true of what I have seen, too.
A scene from one late afternoon when the female demands food possibly for the chicks.
This photograph, taken at a location slightly away from their nest, is apparently their rendezvous point. I have yet to work out what this means though. It is a bit reminiscent of their initial courtship feeding and kingfishers are known to breed more than once in the season. But is this a case of the frustrated female making a trip to this point to pressure the male to give her fish to take to the chicks rather than waiting back at the nest? Embarrassingly for the male, at this time he came empty-beaked.
Female: ‘You’re useless.’
Male: ‘………..’
This funny photograph also tells something else. When chicks are very young, they are yet to develop any feather to keep them warm. So one parent will have to keep them warm by brooding them. But both of them being outside at the same time clearly means the young are big enough to have their own feathers and have voracious appetite, so catching fish in quick succession carries far greater priority for the parents.
For the honour of the male kingfisher, I hastily add that he is a great angler normally. He must have been so embarrassed to face the disappointed female. Bless him.