August 2011 Bird Watch Newsletter

Kingfisher Halcyon sancta vagans 
download August birdwatch newsletter here
The kingfisher is a beautiful bird with a distinctive long powerful bill. One afternoon one flew into our living room window and fell stunned into the flowerbed below. Concerned, my children and I went over to examine it. Never having seen one up close, we were dazzled by its striking blue, turquoise and green plumage. I’m happy to say it made a full recovery and flew away.

Known by the Maori as Kotare, Halcyon sancta vagans is native to New Zealand and a subspecies of Halcyon sancta, the other subspecies of which are found in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon, Kermadec, Lord Howe, Norfolk and Loyalty Islands.

Kingfishers are widespead across New Zealand. While frequently found near water, they also inhabit open country and forests. They are often seen sitting on treetops, posts and power lines from which they have a good vantage point to spot and dive on prey. They eat insects, crabs, mice, lizards, small birds and fish. In winter, they may move nearer the coast where food may be more plentiful. Pairs nest in the sides of clay banks or rotting tree trunks, creating holes with their powerful beaks. Excavation begins with them flying directly, neck outstretched, at the bank or tree and spearing it with their beak. They repeat this until they have a hole large enough to provide them purchase, at which point they continue to chisel until the hole is more or less 20cm. Once created, the nesting burrow may be used year after year. Four to six eggs are laid in the hole. Most of the brooding is done by the female with the male bringing her food.

Backyard Bird Monitoring Data

Below is a scatter graph of Kingfishers recorded in garden surveys from July 2008 to July 2011. Each blue diamond represents a garden survey, though given 433 garden surveys are plotted, many will overlap. It probably comes as no surprise that no Kingfishers were recorded in the majority of garden surveys.  A few (in 39 surveys) have spotted one and three lucky monitors have recorded pairs.