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Common Kingfisher


Common Kingfisher
Photo Information
Copyright: Kuzey Cem Kulacoglu (kuzeycem) Silver Note Writer [C: 2 W: 0 N: 32] (198)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2012-02-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 400 mm F 5.6 L
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/1000 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2015-08-24 4:34
Viewed: 7232
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A little old, but my favourite bird in the world.
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis-TR:Yalıçapkını) is a small near-passerine of the family Kingfisher (Alcedinidae) of the order Coraciiformes.
It has a very large distribution, from NW Africa to New Guinea. There are seven subspecies:
A. a. ispida breeds in S Norway, the British Isles, N Spain to W Russia. It is large and has darker rufous underparts, as well as bluer crown.
A. a. atthis (pictured here) breeds from S Spain and N Africa east to C Siberia, NW China and NW India. It has slightly green tinged blue upperparts and bright orange underparts.
A. a. bengalensis occurs from C India to SE Siberia, Japan and SE Asia. It is small and bright.
A. a. taprobana breeds in S India and Sri Lanka. It is similar in size to bengalensis but upperparts are bright blue, not green-blue.
A. a. floresiana occurs in Lesser Sundas has a darker blue upperparts and some blue feathers on rufous ear coverts.
A. a. hispidoides (Cobalt-eared Kingfisher) breeds in Sulawesi, Moluccas, Papuan Islands, New Guinea etc. It has blue ear coverts and purple tinges of upperparts.
A. a. salomonensis occurs only in Solomon Islands and has more purple on upperparts.
Male has a completely black bill while female has an orange-red lower mandible. Juvenile is duller, has browner underparts and greener upperparts, darker legs and white tip to bill.
It can be seen in slow-flowing rivers, streams, small canals, ponds, lakes or flooded gravel pits with plenty of fish and reeds, twigs etc. for perching. It digs a tunnel on a sandy river bank, usually about 50-90cm long and 90-180cm above water. It also occurs on larger reservoirs or sea coasts during winter.
It's diet mainly consists of fish, as well as aquatic insects, dragonflies, flies, moths & butterflies, amphibians, shrimps and isopods. Rarely feeds on berries or stems of reeds. It plunges from above for fish, usually from a perch 1-3 meters above water or by hovering above water.
Global population is estimated to be about 600,000 individuals.
It is a very local breeder in Turkey but very widespread and usually common during passage or winter. This bird was shot on a fishing farm in Yumurtalık, Adana. It was a lonely individual and I spent about 2 hours with it. It never got close but it was a delight to watch.
Cheers!
ramthakur, NikosR has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2015-08-24 6:46]

Hello Kuzey,
that's a wonderful bird shot. Very sharp, well exposed with a super background. I really like the eye and the beak. Incredible ! Fantastic colors too.
Regards Sigi

Brilliant capture of this Kingfisher perched on a shapely stump, Kuzey.
Very fine impression of its plumage and feathers. The colours are marvellous.
Blue sky in the backdrop enhances the beauty of the capture.
Ram

Hello Kuzey,
Plumages glittering... nice presentation of this Kingfisher. Excellent quality.
Thanks for sharing,
Best wishes,
Srikumar

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2015-08-24 10:24]

Hello Kuzey,
Fantastic photo of this kingfisher in full sunlight. Taken from a very good POV in a superb composition. Excellent sharp details and a beautiful blue sky in the background.
Regards,
Peter

great shot Kuzey
nice composition good BG and great sharpness
colours are also beautiful
thanks gr lou

  • Great 
  • NikosR Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 76 W: 3 N: 447] (3436)
  • [2015-08-24 11:29]

Hi Kuzei

Perfect image of this very beautiful bird, excellent composition. I like the blue BG in contrast to colors of image, excellent sharpness and details, nice POV.

Rgds

Nikos

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2015-08-24 15:26]

Hi Kuzey,beautiful capture of this kingfisher,in pose for you and your camera like a movie star...eheheh..i like the decentralized composition and the impressive quality of sharpness and colors,very well done! Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 282 N: 4931] (19883)
  • [2015-08-24 18:58]

Hello Kuzey,
You have done a fantastic job of showing off this beautiful Common Kingfisher. I love the rich colors in it's plumage and the focus is very sharp. The lighting seems to illuminate it's feathers and you even managed to capture a bit of catchlight in it's eye. Awesome shot!!
Ron

Ciao K>uzey, great macro of lovely kingfisher, fantastic colors, fine details and splendid sharpness, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

really nice, but colours too strong, try to reduce contrast a little, TFS Ori

Very nice portrait of this colorful kingfisher. it has been too much edited on photoshop for my feeling.
have a nice day
Pierre

Brilliant capture

Hi
Great capture,
wonderful.
Mesquens 2

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