Week 5 - Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a kingfisher in the near passerine bird family Cerylidae, the water kingfishers.

It is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia from Turkey to India to China. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate, other than seasonal movements.

The Pied Kingfisher is estimated to be the world's third most common kingfisher, and is a noisy bird, unmissable within its range.

It is mainly a specialist fish-eater, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects. It usually hunts by hovering stationarily over the water and dives down bill first directly below to catch fish.

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These photos were taken at Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, near Mysore, India.