Shot of the Month – May 2020

On our first trip to the Pantanal in 2017 we learned that this incredible ecosystem was home to five types of kingfishers.  I am a sucker for bold colors so I was hopeful that I might capture a few on “film.”  While I was hopeful I was not optimistic, as most kingfishers are tiny and skittish making it very difficult to capture a good image.  Seems that they do things differently in the Pantanal.  On our first day on the water, during a three-hour boat trip on the Pixaim River we saw ALL five species.  And even better, the birds often took no notice of us as we drifted by as they scanned the water below for fish.  On our second trip to the Pantanal in 2019 I captured the image above of a male Green Kingfisher (GK).  The female GK looks similar though she does not have the rufous colored chest feathers.

Small fish are the mainstay of his diet so you can usually find the GK perched on a low-hanging branch near the water’s edge as the bird looks for fish that swim near the surface.  Aquatic insects are also on the menu.

Target acquired, Dive!

Target missed!  Time to shake it off and get back in the game.

The Green Kingfisher can be found from Southern Texas through most of Central and South America.  Their numbers are dropping in Texas due to loss of habitat but they are still plentiful further south.  To raise their young GKs build a horizontal tunnel into the side of the river bank.  The tunnel is about three long and about two inches wide.  (Two inches wide – that gives you a sense of how small these birds are)

This kingfisher, Chloroceryle americana, for you science types, is a real beauty and surely leaves the other birds green with envy.

Until next month…..m

Sources:

Wikipedia (Green Kingfisher)

Audubon

ebird

whatbird.com

Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec, ISO 720 (Shot in Manual Mode with Auto ISO)