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Pied kingfisher, the kingfisher that hovers
कौड़िल्ला
The pied kingfisher is the black-and-white kingfisher of Indian lakes and rivers, and the one that hunts in mid-air: it stops dead over open water on fast-beating wings, then folds and drops straight in. Males wear two black bands across the breast, females one, often broken. It lives on the plains all year, so any clear, still water with fish can hold a pair.
A black-and-white kingfisher with a shaggy crest and a long black bill. It hunts by hovering, holding still in mid-air above the water before dropping in.
👀 How to recognise it
Watch for a black-and-white bird stopped dead in the air over open water, wings beating fast, then folding and dropping straight down. Males have two black breast bands, females one.
Where to see it
Govardhan
The sacred tanks are what keep the bird here: Mansi Ganga and Kusum Sarovar hold clear standing water through the dry months, when the seasonal ponds of the plain have gone. A hovering kingfisher over a stepped tank is one of the ordinary sights of the circuit.
Mansi Ganga (often) · Kusum Sarovar (often)
Ajmer
It fishes over open water rather than from a bank perch, which is why it works the middle of Ana Sagar where the common kingfisher of the reed edges never goes.
Ana Sagar Lake (often) · Foy Sagar Lake (Varun Sagar) (often)
How to identify it
It is a medium-sized kingfisher, about 25 cm long, barred black and white above, with a black mask, a white stripe over the eye, a neat crest and a long black bill. When perched it bobs its head and flicks its tail up and down, and it is noisy, with sharp chirruk calls, so it is hard to miss. It is the only member of its genus and one of the three most numerous kingfishers in the world.
The hover is what sets it apart. Because it can catch and swallow fish without returning to a perch, it fishes over the middle of lakes and estuaries where other kingfishers, which need a branch to dive from, cannot. Most of what it eats is fish, with some crustaceans and large water insects such as dragonfly larvae. In straight flight it has been clocked near 50 km/h.
Another common kingfisher by Indian water is the brown-and-blue white-throated kingfisher.
Nesting and range
In India it breeds from February to April. The nest is a hole dug into a vertical mud bank, about 1.8 m above the water, with a tunnel 4 to 5 feet deep ending in a chamber; several pairs may nest close together, and young birds from an earlier brood sometimes help their parents. At night pied kingfishers gather in large roosts.
It is mainly a bird of the plains; in the higher Himalaya the crested kingfisher takes its place. The species ranges across sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia from Turkey to China, so the same bird fishes in Egypt, in Israel and on the lakes of Rajasthan.
Where to see it
On Govardhan it is the sacred tanks that keep the bird: Mansi Ganga and Kusum Sarovar hold clear standing water through the dry months, when the seasonal ponds of the plain have gone. At Mansi Ganga it is easiest to pick up from the ghat steps in the morning; at Kusum Sarovar it hovers over the tank in front of the sandstone pavilions. A kingfisher hanging over a stepped tank is one of the ordinary sights of the circuit.
In Ajmer it works the open middle of Ana Sagar, often in view from the promenade near Chaupati, and the open water along the dam wall at Foy Sagar.
Status
The IUCN lists the pied kingfisher as Least Concern. In India it is protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act as amended in 2022.
❓ FAQ
What is the pied kingfisher called in Hindi?
Kaudilla (कौड़िल्ला). Around Govardhan it is called kilkila.
How do I tell a male pied kingfisher from a female?
Males have two black bands across the breast, females a single band, often broken in the middle.
Why does the pied kingfisher hover?
It hunts over open water with no perches, spotting fish from mid-air and diving straight down. It can also swallow prey in flight.
When is the best time to see it?
It is resident all year. Mornings are good at Mansi Ganga on Govardhan; it breeds from February to April.