Pied Kingfisher

Description:

‘Pied kingfisher’ is about 17 cm long and is white with a black mask, a white supercilium and black breast bands. The crest is neat and the upperparts are barred in black. Males have a double band across the breast while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. They are usually found in pairs or small family parties. When perched, they often bob their head and flick up their tail. Several subspecies are recognized within the broad distribution. The subspecies travancoreensis of the Western Ghats is darker with the white reduced.

Habitat:

Countryside, river.

Notes:

Its black and white plumage, crest and the habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish makes it distinctive.