Here’s looking at you babe

skfoo · 15th April 2005

This is a male common kingfisher as its bill is all black. The bill of the female is mandible base orange. Just when we thought we probably miss the opportunity to have a close encounter with the common kingfisher this season, it landed on dead tree a short distance from Harlequin’s car. What luck!

I would like to recommend a book by Charlie Hamilton James titled Kingfishers for those who may be interested. Charlie Hamilton James has spent more than 10 years recording the lifestyle of these beautiful birds in Britain. His own spectacular photographs document the many aspects of the kingfishers' life described in the text, capturing the speed of their flight, the darting manoeuvres of their hunting, as well as the quieter moments of courtship and the magnificent colour of their visual displays. It’s a coffee- table kingfisher book. Easy to read and digest plus it’s reasonably priced too!

I bought mine from Kinokuniya some time back. Amazon.com is still selling it. Refer to the following link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/IS...172821-3531252

Ria has also done up an excellent website on Mangrove and wetland wildlife at
Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve (SBWR). Within which information on some of the kingfishers in SBWR can be found:

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/birds.htm

Hope you like them.

Cheers!

tantingchin · 15th April 2005

simply..WOW

cy_j · 15th April 2005

I like them indeed!

skfoo · 15th April 2005

Thanks to all for the comments.

I have a riddle on the common kingfisher in the following thread. Anyone want to make a guess?

http://www.avianwatchasia.org/forums...read.php?t=425

skfoo · 17th April 2005

No takers?

The answer (abstracted from the book "Kingfishers" by Charlie Hamilton James):

"Their bright feather colours are not due to true pigment, for pure blue pigment does not actually exist in birds. Rather, the astonishing colours on the upper parts of the kingfisher are the result of a complex structure in the layers of the feathers which filters out certain colour of light, reflecting back only blue. This is known as 'Tyndal effect' and as a result of it the kingfisher can appear to turn from bright blue to a rich emerald green with only a slight change in the angle at which the light falls on it."

Now that what I call COOL! Another good example of beautiful nature creation.

MatthewSL · 18th April 2005

outstanding work!

15th April 2005	#1
skfoo Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,187	Here’s looking at you babe This is a male common kingfisher as its bill is all black. The bill of the female is mandible base orange. Just when we thought we probably miss the opportunity to have a close encounter with the common kingfisher this season, it landed on dead tree a short distance from Harlequin’s car. What luck! I would like to recommend a book by Charlie Hamilton James titled Kingfishers for those who may be interested. Charlie Hamilton James has spent more than 10 years recording the lifestyle of these beautiful birds in Britain. His own spectacular photographs document the many aspects of the kingfishers' life described in the text, capturing the speed of their flight, the darting manoeuvres of their hunting, as well as the quieter moments of courtship and the magnificent colour of their visual displays. It’s a coffee- table kingfisher book. Easy to read and digest plus it’s reasonably priced too! I bought mine from Kinokuniya some time back. Amazon.com is still selling it. Refer to the following link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/IS...172821-3531252 Ria has also done up an excellent website on Mangrove and wetland wildlife at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve (SBWR). Within which information on some of the kingfishers in SBWR can be found: http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/birds.htm Hope you like them. Cheers!

15th April 2005	#2
tantingchin Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Tanjong Pagar Posts: 635	simply..WOW __________________ Are you looking for a way out?

15th April 2005	#3
cy_j Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Newton Posts: 727	I like them indeed!

17th April 2005	#5
skfoo Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,187	No takers? The answer (abstracted from the book "Kingfishers" by Charlie Hamilton James): "Their bright feather colours are not due to true pigment, for pure blue pigment does not actually exist in birds. Rather, the astonishing colours on the upper parts of the kingfisher are the result of a complex structure in the layers of the feathers which filters out certain colour of light, reflecting back only blue. This is known as 'Tyndal effect' and as a result of it the kingfisher can appear to turn from bright blue to a rich emerald green with only a slight change in the angle at which the light falls on it." Now that what I call COOL! Another good example of beautiful nature creation.

18th April 2005	#6
MatthewSL Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Melbourne Posts: 156	outstanding work!