Kingfishers at Areena
Posted on: August 31, 2021, in Adventure & Fun
Tick kingfishers at Areena off your birding list, this summer. If you are an avid birdwatcher, we have 4 species to be spotted at Areena, the Malachite, Pied, Brown hooded and the Giant Kingfisher. Seen almost daily in the resort.
These amazing birds are often seen living their best life. We have the banks of the river, the dams and coastal belt that offer the perfect habitat for them. They take full advantage of the available food we have on offer.
The kingfisher’s life span varies from 6 to 14 years. All kingfishers have excellent vision, and are able to adjust for refraction when looking into water. This plays a role in them being excellent at fishing, along with their ability to hover above water looking for their pray.
Kingfisher Facts:
- Females are more colourful than the males
- The kingfisher chicks stay with their parents for up to 4 months.
- Both parents take part in the egg incubation with lasts for a period of 3-4 weeks.
- They are mostly monogamous birds
The smallest is the African pygmy kingfisher – only 10 cm long with a weight of 9-12 grams.
The Pied Kingfisher is the black and white kingfisher, which is easily recognisable. It feeds mainly on fish, and can even swallow their prey mid-flight. You will often see the kingfisher killing his catch by thrashing it on a jetty or tree branch.
Look out for the turquoise splashes of colour, orange sharp beaks, and large head, the definitive markings of the various kingfishers, you will definitely see one of the family while staying at Areena.
So bring along your bird list and enjoy your sightings of these colourful birds, you may even get to watch them catch a fish.