Stork-billed Kingfisher- Pelargopsis capensis

Location: Semnyih, Selangor, Malaysia Date: Oct. 2011 Time 10.47 am

Stork-billed Kingfishers are the largest Kingfishers found in Malaysia. But they are rarely sighted because they are shy and less noisy than other Kingfishers.

Stork-billed Kingfishers eat mainly fishes, using their large heavy bills to good effect to catch and kill their prey. From their perch, usually about 2-4 m above the water, they will plunge into the water. They also eat crabs, insects, frogs, mice, lizards, birds and their eggs. Prey is brought back and whacked senseless against the perch.

Main features: The largest (37cm, 140-200g, females usually heavier); bill large (18-20cm) coral-red; upper parts blue; head brown; collar and underparts orange-yellow; feet red.

Adult: As above. Genders look alike.    

Juvenile: Like the adult but with narrow dusky fringes on the collar, lower throat and breast and buff-green fringing on upper tail coverts.