Unique Creature: Remarkable Ability to Sit Motionless and Thrive Without Water
Able to sit motionless for long periods he still stands out thanks to his almost iridescent orange plumage!
The Madagascar pygmy kingfisher
“Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis), Mantadia National Park, Madagascar” by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
The Madagascar pygmy kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis) is a small kingfisher measuring 13 cm in length and weighing in at 17 to 22 grams. He has an almost fluorescent orange head and back with violet along the margins of the nape and rump. There’s a white patch on both sides of the neck running toward the nape. Primary feathers on the wings are black while the underparts are white from the chin to the undertail-coverts, The sides are rufous, the bill is orange, the eyes black and the legs and feet are orange.
“Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis), Mantadia National Park, Madagascar” by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Female birds look very similar to male birds.
Juvenile birds are dull in comparison to adult birds with a reduced violet wash.
Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
These birds are endemic to the island country of Madagascar.
Madagascar Kingfishers are found along the western margins of dry deciduous forests below 1,000 meters and rarely above 1,200 meters.
Sleeping Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE (cropped) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
They like to dine on frogs and insects as well as shrimp. However, they will sometimes take small reptiles as they have no dependence on water.
During the breeding season which is in the rainy season, running from October through to January both the male and the female build a nest by digging a tunnel around 30 to 35 cm long and 5 centimeters wide in an earth bank. Up to four eggs are laid within which are incubated by both birds. The incubation is thought to last somewhere between two to four weeks
“Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis), Mantadia National Park, Madagascar” by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Though the population of this bird has been declining for the last several years they are still regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
“Madagascar Pygmy-Kingfisher – Ankarafantsika – Madagascar_S4E9636” by fveronesi1 (cropped) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
