One can understand why this is a Irish folk saying (recorded in Richard Mabey’s Birds Britannica) since the most common sighting would be of a small, vivid glint of electric blue darting low across a lake or river and by the time you can say "Look there! A Kingfisher!" it’s gone. Some even call it the “Flying Jewel”. Plumage shining in metallic blue and turquoise, its orange-chestnut head and breast, with the white spot on the throat and its spectacular hunting behavior makes it really a precious bird. When I see this bird my mind talks about Darwin my heart thanks God!!.
Common kingfisher (the pic above taken at Karanja lake Mysuru) is a sparrow-sized bird with typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long sharp massive pointed bills. Kingfishers are chunky birds, they have short necks and large heads and stubby tails. Their bodies are short and plump, and legs a
nd feet are small, a shape that helps them diving into the water. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to pursue its prey under water (I happen to see a program in National Geo. wherein they focused this ability of kingfisher, they did it brilliantly. Every time I watch these programs I am amazed). The flight of the Kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. Its color and brevity always leave an impression. There are 86 species of kingfishers and are found all around the world except polar regions and some oceanic islands. Most species live in the eastern hemisphere, especially in southeast Asia.
nd feet are small, a shape that helps them diving into the water. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to pursue its prey under water (I happen to see a program in National Geo. wherein they focused this ability of kingfisher, they did it brilliantly. Every time I watch these programs I am amazed). The flight of the Kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. Its color and brevity always leave an impression. There are 86 species of kingfishers and are found all around the world except polar regions and some oceanic islands. Most species live in the eastern hemisphere, especially in southeast Asia. Kingfishers range in size from the tiny African dwarf kingfisher, 10 cm long, to the laughing kookaburra of Australia (known for its laughing call), 46 cm long. In India three species are generally seen: White breasted, Pied and Common. The Common kingfisher is smallest and less shy. It is often seen perched on a stick or branch overlooking a ditch or pool watching intently for fish (occasionally hovering above the water's surface), bill pointing down as it searches for prey. It bobs its head when food is detected to gauge the distance, and plunges steeply down, two seconds later it emerges, clutching a prize in its beak and stuns the fish by beating it against the perch before swallowing it.
Kingfishers are highly territorial, and so are always found solitary. They are a vulnerable to habitat degradation through pollution or unsympathetic management of watercourses. They are seriously affected by build-up of chemicals, and river pollution by industrial and agricultural products. The presence of this bird therefore is an indication on not only the standard of water but general ecosystem. They nest in tunnels in earth banks (forest or wood kingfishers may live far from water), therefore concrete water banks in cities do create nesting problems, city authorities can create artificial nests or spaces.
There is a
medieval folk tale in Europe that kingfishers were originally plain grey bird it acquired its present bright colors by flying towards the sun on its liberation from Noah's ark, its upper surface assumed the hue of the sky. Phrase Halcyon Days- days of idyllic happiness or prosperity, Halcyon came from the Greek word for kingfisher. It is often considered a bearer of luck and augmenter of money, and also seems to be of importance as a weather prophet. Kingfishers are probably most popular birds when it comes to stamps and almost all countries around the world have come out with stamp on Kingfishers (the stamp posted here is from Luxemburg). The painting herein is by none other than Von Gogh (painted in 1886).
There is a
medieval folk tale in Europe that kingfishers were originally plain grey bird it acquired its present bright colors by flying towards the sun on its liberation from Noah's ark, its upper surface assumed the hue of the sky. Phrase Halcyon Days- days of idyllic happiness or prosperity, Halcyon came from the Greek word for kingfisher. It is often considered a bearer of luck and augmenter of money, and also seems to be of importance as a weather prophet. Kingfishers are probably most popular birds when it comes to stamps and almost all countries around the world have come out with stamp on Kingfishers (the stamp posted here is from Luxemburg). The painting herein is by none other than Von Gogh (painted in 1886). These few lines taken from a poem by Mary Oliver titled The Kingfisher
The kingfisher rises out of the black wave
like a blue flower, in his beak
he carries a silver leaf. I think this is
the prettiest world--so long as you don't mind
a little dying, how could there be a day in your
whole life that doesn't have its splash of happiness?
As I was going through these I found that Mary Oliver is an incredible woman. She is a Pulitzer Prize (1984) wining American 
poet, influenced by both Whitman and Thoreau, and is known for her clear and poignant observation of natural world. Oliver has also been compared to Emily Dickinson, with whom she shares an affinity for solitude and interior monologues. I read many of her poems the other day and think she is amazing (I pity myself for not reading her much earlier). Also her liking for Whitman, Thoreau and Dickinson makes her endearing. She loves the outdoors, in the nature. Says Oliver “Whenever I would leave home, I would say ‘I’m going in,’ whenever I would go back in the house, I would say ‘I’m going out.’!!”. Now that is what I love about people. She asks this question “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” . There are some writings that become very personal the moment you read Mary Oliver’s poem The Journey…
poet, influenced by both Whitman and Thoreau, and is known for her clear and poignant observation of natural world. Oliver has also been compared to Emily Dickinson, with whom she shares an affinity for solitude and interior monologues. I read many of her poems the other day and think she is amazing (I pity myself for not reading her much earlier). Also her liking for Whitman, Thoreau and Dickinson makes her endearing. She loves the outdoors, in the nature. Says Oliver “Whenever I would leave home, I would say ‘I’m going in,’ whenever I would go back in the house, I would say ‘I’m going out.’!!”. Now that is what I love about people. She asks this question “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” . There are some writings that become very personal the moment you read Mary Oliver’s poem The Journey… One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.
