White-throated kingfisher eats centipede

This white-throated Kingfisher found a centipede on the soil around the pineapple tree in my backyard.

probably tthe Malaysian Jewel Centipede (Scolopendra sp)

...and swallowed it up

found another

Swallowed it all after the centipede is motionless

 

The next day, it caught the same type of centipede and took it on to the bamboo tree.

The collared kingfisher at Pantai Beserah Kuantan

The collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris humil)

My recent short holiday at the beach turned out to be a joyful surprise for both relaxation and bird photography. With my camera in hand and the sound of waves in the background, I wasn’t expecting much more than scenic shots of the sea.

Then I spotted two pairs of Collared Kingfishers perched near the shoreline. Their vivid turquoise-blue wings and clean white collars stood out beautifully against the coastal trees. Watching them move between branches, calling to each other, was pure happiness. I managed to capture a few photographs, each frame feeling like a small reward for slowing down and observing.

That simple beach holiday became a memorable birding moment. Finding two pairs of Collared Kingfishers reminded me why I love bird photography—unexpected encounters, natural beauty, and the quiet joy of being present.

partially hidden behind a branch

fly a way searching for food

a pair perched on concrete jetty

another pair on a dead pine tree

quarrel ?? 

 

Birds eat Cricket

Tiger Shrike and White-throated Kingfisher eat Cricket (Gryllus sps)

Nice breakfast

A kingfisher has made my backyard its home, and it’s quite the character! It often starts calling around 7 AM, and I love watching it perch on the metal frame just outside my kitchen as it keeps an eye out for insects. However, it’s usually too dark for me to take a good picture at that hour, and the little bird gets startled by even the tiniest movement I make.

To make photography a bit easier, I use crickets as bait. I toss it on the grass and wait.

Sure, within a minute that Kingfisher swopwed down to catch the cricket.

The Tiger shrike and Magpie Robin also joined the feeding frenzy

Cricket (Gryllus sps)

I bought these crickets from the fishing tackle shop, which sells 20 cickets for RM2

Tiger shrike

White-throated Kingfisher

White-throated Kingfisher harassing Brown Shrike

Happy shrike

The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a migrating bird. I can easily see this during autumn ( October and November). It will hunt for food, insects etc., and will return to the same perch, usually the top dominant branch.

Suddenly, the big white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis perpulchra) appeared  with a loud noise from below, startling the shrike.

staring at something below

White-throated Kingfisher move upward with kit-kit-kit sound

displacing the Brown shrike

took over the top bamboo branch

flew away to other place

just to harassed

 

Food for the King

This kingfisher is from the same pond where the stork-billed kingfisher was photographed feeding on small Puyu fish.

The white-throated here probably catch the same fish.

EDIT: After searching the internet, I found that this is a young Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), characterized by its brownish-gray body colour and distinctive vertical stripes.

white-throated kingfisher  (Halcyon smyrnensis)

King with fish = Kingfisher

ready to swallow

 

Stork billed Kingfisher harassed White-throated kingfisher Birds

Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis malaccensiswas) harassing and chasing a White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis perpulchra).

Stork-billed Kingfisher chasing White-throated Kingfisher

The  "Big Boss" (37cm) sits high up on the Ironwood tree (Casuarina equisetifolia)

the "little" one (28cm) is contended on the tree stump

 

Stork billed kingfisher feeding behavior - catches a fish

I spotted this large kingfisher perched on a tall ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia), at  the same pond as last month.

 The stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis malaccensis)

Waiting and watching on the dead wood

diving

swoop down on a fish

flying over water after unsuccessful catch

got a fish and climbing on the dead tree

Ikan Pupu, climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) 

flew away from photographer

 

White-throated kingfisher Feeding behavior

White-throated kingfisher Feeding behavior

That white-red is KWSP (Employees' Provident Fund) building

Last week's Aidil-Fitri holiday gave me a chance to do some bird photography.

There is a small lotus pond near my house (10 minutes walk), beside the KWSP Building on Jalan Persiaran Damai 4.

In an hour, I saw four different bird species. There are two Kingfishers, two water hens, and a Chinese pond heron.

From the car window, I captured this kingfisher in action.

I have seen this species feeding on grasshoppers, frogs, and lizards, but this is my first seeing fish as its diet.

White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis  perpulchra). The one flapping its wing probably is a male.

A pair of White-throated Kingfishers perched openly on two death trees.

diving

Fly over the Lotus plants, (Nelumbo nucifera)

Fly parallel over the water, looking for fish.

The white-throated kingfisher did not dive directly into the water but had a preference for catching fish from the water's surface.

strike

Fail, let's try again. Out of three attempts that I saw, only one was successful. (33%)

Landing a rotten wood not far from my car - look at the eye - nictitating membrane.

Take off to dry the feathers

Successfully caught a small fish, probably guppy.

King Fisher at Rambutan Tree

A pair of White-throated King Fisher on a Rambutan Tree (Nephelium lappaceum)

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

jumping

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