Photo of the Day Contest, “The Madman Kingfisher”

To participate and share your images,  please join Bush Warriors Photo of the Day Contest group on Facebook, which you can access by clicking here (http://www.facebook.com/groups/bushwarriorsphotooftheday/)

“The Madman Kingfisher”

Photo Credit: Trevor Hardaker

Intaka Island Wetlands

Century City, South Africa

The Malachite Kingfisher (Alcedo cristata) is widely distributed in Africa, south of the Sahara.  This is a small kingfisher, only 13 cm in length.  The general color of the upper parts of the adult bird is bright metallic blue.  The head has a short crest of black and blue feathers, which gives rise to the scientific name.  The face, cheeks and underparts are reddish-brown and there are white patches on the throat and rear neck sides.  The bill is black in young birds and reddish orange in adults; the legs are bright red.  Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult.

The Malachite Kingfisher likes to fish from reeds or sedges low over shallow water.  The flight of the Malachite Kingfisher is rapid, the short rounded wings whirring until they appear a mere blur.  It usually flies low over water.  The bird has regular perches or stands low over the water from which it fishes.  It sits upright, its tail pointed downwards, and drops down into the water suddenly with a splash, usually returning at once with a struggling captive (pictured here).  Large food items are beaten on a bough or rail; small fish and insects are promptly swallowed.  A fish is usually lifted and carried by its middle, but its position is changed, sometimes by tossing it into the air, before it’s swallowed headfirst.  Fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans are all on the menu.

 

To share your wildlife photos with the Bush Warriors community, go to our Photo of the Day Contest Facebook page and upload your shots today!  All you need to do is upload them onto the wall.  Please do not create new albums, but rather upload each photo on its own.  Click here to view ALL of our Photo of the Day winners and for more information on the Bush Warriors Photo of the Day Contest.  Enjoy the beauty of nature, just as it was intended to be! 

 

The Bush Warriors Photo of The Day Contest is brought to you in partnership with Creative Visions Foundation.  Inspired by the life of Dan Eldon, a young Reuters photojournalist killed in Somalia in 1993, Creative Visions Foundation supports “Creative Activists” who use media and the arts to create positive change in the world.

Vote for your favorite photo each week.  The Bush Warriors Photo of The Week winner will go on to compete for the Bush Warriors Photo of the Month, and a chance to win a signed copy of Dan Eldon: Safari As a Way of Life of life.  

 

 

 

 

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