Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

FM Forum Rules
Nature & Wildlife Posting Guidelines

FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

2 end

Archive 2019 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Imagemaster
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Images 3, 4, & 5 show him casting a pellet.

Like most fish-eating birds, kingfishers don’t have a crop and their thin-walled gizzard is incapable of vigorous grinding. Nestlings can and do digest all scales and bones of the fish they eat but by the time they fledge digestion of bones and scales ceases so they must throw pellets that consist of entire fish skeletons and scales (and the exoskeletons of any arthropods that have been eaten). It is believed that this change in digestive abilities is due to gastric secretions becoming less acidic and more alkaline in older birds. Belted Kingfisher pellets are compact and keep their shape for days so they’re a valuable tool in the study of kingfisher diets.

Apr 01, 2019 at 09:18 PM

Imagemaster
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Apr 01, 2019 at 09:19 PM

KCollett
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

A beautiful and educational set, Tony! Didn't know about the pellet expulsion. I've not seen this behaviour in any birds other than raptors. Possibly more common than one thinks. Thanks!

Apr 01, 2019 at 09:33 PM

dclark
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Great set of images, and a very interesting an informative comment about kingfisher biology. Thanks for posting information that goes beyond the unusual collection of images.

Dave

Edited on Apr 02, 2019 at 06:45 PM · View previous versions

Apr 01, 2019 at 09:37 PM

surgemaster
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Wonderful images, Tony. The bird really likes your perch and you got it looking the right way, too. The first is my pick. I didn't know about KF's casting pellets. Will have to tell my birder friends. Thanks for the info, too.
Rex

Apr 01, 2019 at 11:41 PM

majones
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Beautiful images

Apr 02, 2019 at 01:03 AM

MichaelMcg
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Fantastic Photos

Apr 02, 2019 at 04:19 AM

George Welch
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Beautiful photos as usual, Tony. Thanks for the info - very interesting.

George

Apr 02, 2019 at 04:44 AM

kdacharya
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

great information and pics to boot, Tony

Apr 02, 2019 at 06:01 AM

lighthound
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

An excellent set made even better with the educational information!

Good stuff Tony!

Dave

Apr 02, 2019 at 12:03 PM

arbitrage
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Great stuff Tony. That is behavior I didn't know about.

TFS
Geoff

Apr 02, 2019 at 05:26 PM

AGeoJO
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Tony, these are just excellent images of the belted KF and their behavior! Was it in the process of swallowing a prey in #4 or was that one of the pellets you referred to in your description?

Joshua

Apr 02, 2019 at 06:43 PM

B Benson
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Most excellent Tony, it is not easy to get images like this of a kingfisher. Well done. Bruce

Apr 02, 2019 at 10:02 PM

Imagemaster
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

AGeoJO wrote:
Tony, these are just excellent images of the belted KF and their behavior! Was it in the process of swallowing a prey in #4 or was that one of the pellets you referred to in your description?

Joshua

Thanks Joshua. Yes, 3, 4, & 5 is the cough-up sequence.

Tony

Apr 04, 2019 at 11:21 PM

troylim
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Stunning!!!

Apr 05, 2019 at 12:44 AM

40Driggs
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Great set! I wasn’t aware of the pellets in these birds, so thanks for sharing that.

Apr 05, 2019 at 06:02 AM

KTM950
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

One of my nemesis species. Outstanding set. Thanks for sharing.

Apr 08, 2019 at 07:50 PM

OldProf
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Wonderful pictures. Keep up the good work

Apr 10, 2019 at 12:58 AM

Imagemaster
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Thanks everyone.

Tony

Apr 10, 2019 at 12:21 PM

tshore
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Belted Kingfisher - 9 images

Lovely captures. SO hard to get close to these birds. Thanks for the educational info on KF digestion!

Apr 10, 2019 at 01:01 PM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| Nature & Wildlife \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.