A young Pied Kingfisher practices his catching skills on his perch.

A stillness had settled over the lush morning reeds that formed part of a small section of the wetland marsh. One or two distant honks of passing Egyptian geese could be heard as they flew low and past the hide, continuing onward into the distance. All was still; just a light rustle of some of the reeds could be heard as the warming air gently caressed their stems.

For a moment, the world was silent, smashed a split second later by the hurtling shape of the black and white pied kingfisher as it torpedoed into the mirrored water, leaving a splash of ripples across it. His head appeared just as quickly, his wings waving wildly across the surface, lifting his frame toward the branch above, his beak holding a twig triumphantly. Landing on his spot, he froze briefly, gently holding the twig. His eyes looked down and then up. In a flash, he chucked the twig upward, catching it deftly in his beak. He repeated this manoeuvre a few times, each time catching the twig in different parts, then whacking it downward against the branch base. A few repetitions later, he dropped the twig with his head turned carefully, watching as it splashed into the water, partly sinking. As it sank a little further, he turned and dove expertly, catching the twig perfectly before once again flapping his wing rhythmically upwards and onwards back to his branch to continue the exercise again.

The pied kingfisher was a young adolescent. His mission was simply to practice the art of fishing - an essential skill to secure his ability to thrive in the wetland that he inhabited.

The Remarkable Pied Kingfisher

A common sight near the shorelines of healthy water bodies in southern Africa is the Pied Kingfisher. This black and white bird is often seen energetically hovering a few meters above the water's surface before plunging head-first to catch a fish. Once it has its prey, the Pied Kingfisher flies to a nearby perch, where it repeatedly bashes the fish on a branch, then flicks it into the air to swallow it head-first.

The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is the second largest African kingfisher, surpassed only by the Giant Kingfisher (Ceryle maxima). They have an extensive range and are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. While typically seen in pairs, they can be moderately gregarious in some areas.

These birds are closely associated with freshwater locations, including rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs. They frequently hover and are less dependent on wetlands with tall, overhanging trees. For nesting, pied kingfishers require suitable banks to excavate tunnels. They usually create their burrows in sand, loam, or clay soil along lake shores or streams, and they can even burrow in pits and ditches up to one kilometer away from water sources.

Feathered Friends Collection

Welcome to our feathered friends, with their flights of fancy, twitchers' delight, and the lightest touch.

Ever-present in our lives, birds fill the skies, settle in tree branches, and thrive on the ground. Their movements fill us with delight and awe, and their silence is broken by delightful songs or anxious craws. This collection celebrates these moments in time with our feathered friends.