Written by Ben Borgmann-Winter (Middlebury College)
Woodland Kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis)
Botswana is home to a great diversity of Kingfishers—nine different species from two different families, according to Birds: The Inside Story, by Rael and Héléne Loon. Over our first three weeks, we’ve seen a lot one species in particular: the Woodland Kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis).
This beautiful bird is most easily recognized by its bright blue back and head, white belly, and black wing spots. Additionally, a beak that is red on the top and black on the bottom helps distinguish this bird from its other locally occurring cousins. The Woodland Kingfisher can also be easily recognized by its call, a piercing “terp-trrrrrrrr!”
In Setswana, all kingfishers are called sejadithapi, meaning “one who eats fish.” In the case of the Woodland Kingfisher, this name is perhaps slightly misleading—although this bird certainly consumes some fish, the majority of its diet is actually made up of insects, frogs, lizards, and even the occasional snake (Robert’s Bird Guide, Hugh Chitlander).
There’s a Woodland Kingfisher nest by our base camp in Maun. The nest is in an old, slightly tilted tree that hangs out over a nicely shaded walkway. This is a pretty typical nesting site for this species, as they prefer to nest in riparian woodland—especially in old tree cavities and abandoned nests of other birds (Robert’s Bird Guide, Hugh Chitlander). Sometimes, if you sit quietly for long enough, one of the parents will appear—almost out of nowhere—often with a grasshopper for its young. If you listen really carefully, you might just be able to make out the eager cheeping of hungry chicks.
We only return to Maun every few weeks, but I look forward to seeing the progress of these chicks when we get back.