Black-capped Kingfishers are common
winter visitors that resemble the resident White-throated Kingfishers in
look and call. Black-capped Kingfishers, however, are more quiet than
their smaller resident cousins and more wary and hard to approach
closely.
Black-capped Kingfishers have a broad diet. Those near the coast eat
mainly crabs and fish. Those elsewhere eat mainly insects, particularly
those that live near water (dragonflies, water boatmen), but also
stinging insects like bees and wasps. Occasionally, frogs and small
reptiles are caught.
Black-capped Kingfishers hunt in open areas, keeping a lookout for
prey from a favourite high perch (1-2m above the water or ground). They
only rarely plunge into water to catch aquatic prey. Black-capped
Kingfishers are solitary hunters and aggressively territorial. They may
chase off not only other Black-cappeds but also other species of
Kingfishers which use similar hunting techniques.
Breeding: Black-capped Kingfishers nest along river banks. Both
parents dig out the nest tunnel, up to 60cm deep. 4-5 eggs are laid.
For more about the hunting methods and breeding habits of Kingfishers
in general.
Migration: Black-capped Kingfishers are the most northerly breeders
in their genus. They breed in northern Asia from India through Myanmar
to China and Korea and do not appear to breed further south than
Indochina and Thailand. Those found in Singapore are migrants that breed
in Myanmar and China. They migrate alone or in pairs, faithfully
following traditional routes, going as far south as Borneo, Sumatra and
Java. They arrive in September and leave in April.
Status and threats: Black-capped Kingfishers are not considered at
risk in Singapore. They are found mainly in freshwater habitats, open
ponds, reservoirs, rivers, coasts. But elsewhere, they can also be found
in drier inland habitats and up to 1,000m high. |
