EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Pied Kingfisher on Perch

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle r. rudis), Family Alcedinidae
Lake Naivasha, Kenya

Explanation:  This is a perfect perch for a Pied Kingfisher ... among the reeds in the shallows of Lake Naivasha, in the Rift Valley of southern Kenya, east Africa.  Here swim pisciform prey waiting to be plucked by a fisher king.  

Pied Kingfishers are widespread and found in Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe, south Asia, and to southern China.

In east Africa, the subspecies here is Ceryle rudis rudis.

This individual has found a worthy perch on a broken tree bole
near shoreline ... still within eyeshot of the water surface.

Kingfishers tend to spend much time on a perch, in large
part to conserve energy but also to not miss some feeding opportunity.

One source suggests that kingfishers have very sensitive vision
for detecting movement, have a wide viewing angle,
and have refined color vision with some ability
to see into the ultraviolet.