Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris)
Although this is called a Kingfisher, I’m of the opinion after watching this bird around our little wooden cabin that it captures most of its food well away from water.
The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is not a migrant, and although it is a bushveld bird, it is resident in leafy suburbs of South African towns such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Nelspruit and Durban. As with other kingfishers, pairs stick together and may hold the same territory for several years.
They are reputed to fish in water but according to the books with limited success… so what does it feed on.?? This one was diving around and digging under leaves below the leechee trees…
Our home from home so that you can see where we stayed…
and this fellow flitted around the home all the time, looked for his nest unsuccessfully, but he was a profuse hunter…
What fascinated me was the Fork-tailed Drongo that kept an eye on him and as he flurried around in the leaves anything that flew up was quickly caught by the Drongo in flight… I wonder if this is what one calls co-operation, or was it just learnt by the one to watch the other… ????
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 