IDENTIFICATION

VOCALISATIONS

Rapid but short high-pitched rattles are often heard.

Also a double-note ‘kit-ik.’

Threat or agitation calls occur when territorial disputes occur.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

Pied Kingfisher occurs largely in fresh and brackish water habitats, though it is occasionally met with in the salt water of sheltered bays or small offshore islands. Primarily, however, it is found at fish ponds, gei wai and reservoirs. Occurrence at the latter, however, appears to be much less common than formerly.

This species is reported throughout the year from the Deep Bay area and the northeast New Territories. Previously it was also occasionally reported at western Kowloon, Lantau and offshore islands, including Tung Ping Chau, but such records are now rare. There are no records from HK Island.

The percentage of occupied 1km squares declined from 2.7% to 1.3% between the breeding bird surveys of 1993-96 and 2016-19. Breeding is now confined to the Deep Bay area and nearby Kam Tin (though development at the latter is likely causing a reduction there), whereas in the earlier survey it was recorded in the northeast New Territories, Sai Kung and on Stonecutters and Lantau.

The percentage of occupied 1km squares declined from 1.8% to 1.5% between the winter atlas surveys of 2001-05 and 2016-19. The decline occurred mainly occurred in the Tai Lam Chung area, where Pied Kingfisher was only recorded once from April 2009 to December 2020.

OCCURRENCE

Most reports refer to one to three birds, occasionally four or more. Eight at the former Ping Shan marshes on 30 March 1970 is the highest count at a single site, and up to nine were recorded during coordinated monthly waterfowl counts in the whole of the Deep Bay area in summer 1998.

In the 1930s, it was regarded as a locally common resident in the New Territories but absent from HK Island (Hutson 1931, Herklots 1934). However, Chalmers (1986) noted that it ‘formerly more widespread’, while highlighting the possibility that the number of breeding pairs had increased in the previous ten years. Carey et al. (2001) regarded it as locally uncommon.

BREEDING

Since 1958 nest-sites or dependent young have been recorded in the fish pond areas at San Tin and Hoo Hok Wai, and at Pak Nai, Plover Cove Reservoir, Tai Mei Tuk, Nam Chung and Tai Lam Chung Reservoir.

Our knowledge of the nesting ecology of Pied Kingfisher in HK derives from Vaughan and Jones (1913). It usually makes a nest hole in the bank of a river or fish pond but may also do so in a sandy seashore cliff or a bank of hillside disintegrated granite. The hole is usually 3-5 feet in length with a cavity at the end. After the first egg is laid one bird remains to guard it, presumably against rodents. At this time the male roosts at night in a separate hole.

Dependent fledged young have been recorded from 9 March to 20 June, and birds have been observed at nest-sites from late January to early September. Vaughan and Jones (1913) found fresh eggs of this species in the Pearl River area from 16 February to 12 May.

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

While Pied Kingfisher mostly fishes from perches, more than other kingfishers in HK it also hovers before diving for prey. As a result it is often seen foraging in the middle of large fish or gei wai ponds, hovering for brief periods before moving on to another spot. A further adaptation to this mode of capture is the ability to consume small prey while on the wing. Fish are the only food items to have been noted in HK.

Frequently seen in pairs or in loose groups that are presumed to be family parties. Although Fry et al. (1992) refer to helpers assisting with breeding in Africa, this has not been noted here. Similarly, there is no evidence of colonial breeding here.

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

Resident in sub-Saharan Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, and from the Indian subcontinent east through Indochina to south China (Woodall 2020). In China it occurs in lowland areas of the south and east as far north as Beijing, where it is a rare but increasing visitor (Liu and Chen 2020, Birding Beijing 2020). There are five subspecies, of which C. r. insignis occurs in east and southeast China, including Hainan.

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend unknown.