Nature in Our Neighborhood: The Pied Kingfisher

[Girish S V]

The Pied Kingfisher used to be a frequent visitor to the Haralur Lake before the lake was drained for renovation. While most kingfishers are predominantly blue in color, this one is black and white (referred to as Pied) and it has a very unique characteristic of hovering over the water before diving vertically into the water. Obviously this requires clear and unpolluted water for the Pied Kingfisher to make a catch.

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They nest in a hole excavated in a vertical mud bank about five feet above water.

We can still see a few of them in the vicinity of the lake. Let's hope they come back once we have water back in the lake.

Regards,

-Girish