FOR those of you travelling up to Zululand, Mozambique or the Kruger Park, you can see this migrant Woodland kingfisher in Summer.
However there is in our area a similar variation – the mangrove kingfisher, which is a year-round resident.
The woodland has a very distinctive call starting with a high, staccato note, followed by a descending trill which sounds like ‘chuc chirrrrrrrr’. It is highly vocal when breeding.
This bird’s habitat is denser savanna, riverine forest and woodlands, hence the name. It is usually to be found solitary or in pairs.When migrating, it flies at night. It perches low in trees, scanning the ground for prey and it rarely dives for fish in water. Mostly it feeds on insects, millipedes, lizards, snakes, frogs, crabs and birds.
The woodlands kingfisher breeds from November until January. Its nest is usually a disused hole of a barbet or a woodpecker in a tree, or under the eaves of a house.
On average, it lays three eggs, which incubate for 14 days. Its nestling for 15 to 22 days are fed by both parents.
The bird’s Zulu name is uNongozolo.
