A jewel of a birdback

 

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According to a French legend, Noah first sent a dove to look for land when the rain stopped. His second bird scout was a kingfisher. At this time, the kingfisher's plumage was grey. To avoid a storm, however, he had to fly so high that he flew over the sun! His upper side turned as blue as the sky above him, while the heat of the sun turned his belly red. After his adventure, he was unable to find Noah's Ark, and in fact he is still searching for it today, always staying close to water. This is how the kingfisher is said to have got its colours – and its habitat. If you are lucky, you may be able to spot this magnificent bird here. Depending on the light, the kingfisher's back feathers gleam in any shade of blue from cobalt to turquoise, while its belly is bright orange. Against the greens and browns of the surrounding woods it shimmers like a gemstone. Kingfishers are skilful hunters. From a perch above the water they plunge headlong into the water and seize their prey with their long, slim bill. If you look over the bridge into the water, you may see some of the small fish the kingfisher likes to eat. Not every dive is crowned with success, however. A simple experiment shows why kingfishers often miss: Take a stick and immerse its lower end in the water. Although your stick is quite straight, it now looks as though it had a sharp bend at the point where it enters the water. This optical phenomenon is called refraction and kingfishers have to take it into account when diving for prey. This is quite a challenge, especially for young birds, which have to learn optics the hard way. To rear one or two broods per year, kingfishers need a clear-running stream with a healthy stock of small and young fish and permanently dry, vertical riverbanks in which to build their nesting burrows. Since their requirements are so specific, we have to take great care to protect the kingfishers' habitat here in the nature reserve – making sure that people won't look in vain when hoping to spot its vibrant colours.

Photo: Marianne Wioraback