Black-capped kingfisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-capped kingfisher |
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| An adult Black-capped Kingfisher from Sundarban, West Bengal, India. | |
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The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is a beautiful bird found across tropical Asia. You can spot them from India all the way to China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. These kingfishers are known for their striking looks. They have a black cap on their head, a white throat, and amazing purple-blue wings. Their bill is a bright coral red! While many stay in one place, some travel south for winter to places like Sri Lanka and Thailand. You'll often find them near the coast, especially in mangrove forests.
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About the Black-capped Kingfisher's Name
Who Named This Bird?
The black-capped kingfisher was first described in 1780. A French scientist named Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon wrote about it. Later, in 1783, another scientist, Pieter Boddaert, gave it its scientific name, Alcedo pileata.
What Does Halcyon pileata Mean?
The word Halcyon comes from ancient Greek stories. It's a name often linked to kingfishers. The second part, pileata, is Latin. It means 'capped', which perfectly describes this bird's black cap!
What Does a Black-capped Kingfisher Look Like?
This kingfisher is about 28 centimeters (11 inches) long. Adults have bright purple-blue wings and back. Their head and shoulders are black, and they have a white neck and throat. Their belly is a reddish-brown color.
Special Features
The bill (beak) and legs are a very bright red. When the bird flies, you can see large white patches on its blue and black wings. These patches look like "mirrors." Both male and female kingfishers look similar. Young birds are a bit duller in color and might have streaks on their throat. This bird makes a cackling sound, like "ki-ki-ki-ki-ki."
How Do They Behave?
You usually see these kingfishers near the coast. They especially like mangrove forests. They can be easily scared, so they might fly away if you get too close. They often perch (sit) in plain sight. From there, they dive into the water to catch fish. They also eat large insects. Their flight is very fast and straight. Their short, rounded wings whir as they fly.
Nesting and Eggs
Black-capped kingfishers usually breed in the summer. They dig a tunnel in an earth bank to make their nest. A female typically lays one set of 4 to 5 round, white eggs.
Where Do Black-capped Kingfishers Live?
Their Favorite Homes
These birds mostly live near the coast. They love mangrove forests, river mouths (estuaries), and rivers. You can find them in many places. Their range stretches from India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, all the way to Korea and the Philippines.
Traveling Birds
Sometimes, you might see them far inland. This can happen if there's a lot of rain. Some kingfishers also travel south for the winter. They have even been seen as far west as Pakistan during winter.
Black-capped Kingfishers in Culture
Feathers for Fashion
Like many other colorful kingfishers, these birds were once popular for their beautiful blue feathers. People used these feathers in the past for fashion. In China, their feathers were used to make fans. In Hong Kong, people would cut and glue their feathers onto ornaments worn by women.
