Kingfisher doesn't like ice!
Wednesday 13 February 2019, 10:30 by Harry Kiewiet | 4,111 views | 0 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
The kingfisher does not live up to its Dutch name. When the water is frozen over, it cannot catch fish! The English have given it a more beautiful and appropriate name, Kingfisher, which literally means king fisher.
The way it catches its fish is truly beautiful to watch, so it certainly does justice to its English name too.
There are various theories about the origin of the Dutch name for the kingfisher. It is sometimes claimed that the kingfisher got its name because it was often seen in winter near a hole in the ice, where it could catch a fish when the rest of the water was frozen over.
A prolonged cold spell or period of frost, during which almost everything is frozen over, can be fatal for the kingfisher. It mainly lives on fish, so it is not possible to catch fish during a frost.
Its condition will deteriorate and it will eventually starve. In the first quarter of 2018, more than 50 per cent of kingfishers across the country died as a result of the icy cold, despite there being a reasonable amount of open water. Unfortunately, more than half of the population did not survive.
In winter, you can regularly spot kingfishers near locks, pumping stations and small bridges, because that is where the chance of open water is greatest.
The photo above was taken on 19 January 2019. The kingfisher is sitting on a branch with snow and ice still on it.
About the author
Harry is een selfmade vogelfotograaf. Hij is coördinator van de ijsvogelwerkgroep en vrijwilliger in de weidevogelwerkgroep van natuur- en milieuvereniging 'Het Stroomdal' in Drenthe. Hij wil graag in zijn artikelen met tips & tricks laten zien hoe zijn foto's tot stand zijn gekomen.
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