Date: 4/29/25 9:26 pm From: rainyday via groups.io <c_griz...> Subject: [AKBirding] Sunday, April 27, 2025 Kingfisher courtship
Sunday, April 27, 2025 Kingfisher courtship
Seward, Alaska
The wetlands and pond at Mile 1 Nash Road attract more than nesting Trumpeter Swans. A noisy female BELTED KINGFISHER stridently announced her presence as she zoomed in and landed on a favorite dead tree perch. She quietly sat motionless in the rain for many minutes, then abruptly dove into the pond and back to her station with a fish. After a short time to “drown” and subdue the fish, she gulped it down. After a few more successful forays, she shot off, rattling.
Not long after, another Kingfisher landed on a nearby perch, this time a male. He too had great success catching fish before he rattled off.
The next afternoon, while watching the Swans, my attention was again diverted to the Kingfisher on his perch in the rain. This time he scored on a particularly large coho salmon, almost at smolt stage. But instead of enjoying the feast, he flew down to a nearby log and waited expectantly. He had bigger plans than lunch. The lively fish flopped in his bill, trying to escape, but he held firm.
“Chirrr!” announced the female as she landed on the log about a foot away. “Chirrr!, big, handsome fella with a fat fishy feast!”
Still, her gorgeous suitor held the fish, almost chivalrously, waiting for the glittering gift to stop wriggling around. If birds could drool, she did. He waited patiently; she waited, barely contained.
Finally, as he backed away to the end of the log, he expertly flipped the fish to face her head-first. She sidled up, bill open. Tenderly, he placed it in her bill with the utmost care. She clamped down on the fish as he beamed with love, his adorable spiky crest sticking straight up, and immaculate white collar puffed out.
After many long minutes of holding the fish, switching positions on the log this way and that, she finally deemed it safe to eat and chugged it slowly down her throat. I was impressed that she could eat such a large, long fish without choking. It took a while, and she sat there afterwards stupefied, full to the top.
I hope these two beautiful Kingfishers will soon dig a snug, long tunnel for their future family and raise many phenomenal babies together.
Thanks to fisheries biologist John for the salmon ID.
