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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

World Bird Wednesday XLVIII

                               

 I Love You Just the Way You Are!


                                                         Little Tiny Feet

If Hollywood had been in charge of designing the Belted Kingfisher, instead of the haphazard bump and grind of evolutionary tectonics, it would sport talons at least on par with a parakeet or sparrow instead of the little tiny feet it has been stuck with. Where's Intelligent Design when you need it? It's not the first time evolution has made mistakes like this. T-Rex jumps immediately to mind with it's dainty fore-limbs to stunted to pick it's own teeth or scratch the back of it's considerable head. Check Godzilla for a sensible T-Rex redo.
  Of course, small feet are considered very desirable by the Geisha's of Japan to the point where they intentionally crunch their toes into ill fitting slippers rather than suffer the stigma of unfashionably out sized clodhoppers. A Geisha would think the kingfishers feet perfectly in proportion to it's size. I would agree to disagree. Besides, the fierce nature of the kingfisher is more in line with a Samaria warrior than a refined lady of culture.
  The Belted kingfisher's blazing airborne attacks, carried out with a acrobatic deftness, defy anything fabricated in Hollywood's computer generated action movies. Indeed, a gritty hero crashing headlong into troubled waters, impaling the woeful with a black saber, and flying off to beat the day lights out of it's stunned victim on a rock, could more or less pass for a movie plot these days.
 


Hitchcock may have had a brutal undertone submerged in his story lines but his implied violence was in context and not the sole point. Sir Alfred reminds me of another of the kingfishers design flaws. Yes, their immense heads. Here's Hollywood's master plan for a more telegenic kingfisher: Shrink the head, enlarge the feet, lengthen the tail feathers, give the eyes a red glare, and chrome the beak! Yeah, that's what we'd see, another doped up Tinseltown remake: Revenge of the Kingfisher!




  Naturally, I jest. My impertinent discontent can be traced to the research into the Belted kingfisher's clan that I did this week. My knowledge concerning ornithology has holes in it the size of Utah and I dare not write about birds without a back up source more authoritative than my own memory.
  So it was that I cast my Enet for factoids about the Belted kingfisher, lesser cousin of the vaunted Kookaburra, greatest of all kingfishers. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon an informative article that commented on the ninety different varieties of kingfisher our world has to offer. Was I misinformed? Wasn't there only a single version of the kingfisher in all of Europe, the Common, and one native to North America, the Belted? Not quite, there were a few others, for instance the Ringed and Green kingfishers that reside in the American South West, but those are rare enough to be easily overlooked by the casually educated.
  To further hammer down the disparity I then read that only six of the ninety Kingfisher species call the whole of the Western Hemisphere home, while Gambia, an African country of barely 2,400 square miles, claims eight! What an astounding variation in diversity.
  One click led to another and I began to find picture after picture of rare kingfishers gorgeously festooned with a dazzling pallet of colorful plumage's. And that is how my drab, slate colored darlings lost some of their visual appeal and made me long for something more...intense.



  Some species of kingfisher are unbelievably rare and precious. The Kofiau Paradise kingfisher is resident to only one tiny island, Kofiau, off the coast of New Guinea. The tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere spanning Africa, Asia, and Australia are our planets kingfisher treasure trove.
  The world over, these peculiar birds share most of the same general attributes. Those that spring to mind are obvious: long beak, tiny feet, and ill proportioned head. The forest dwelling varieties that dine on insects dug from the earth will sport a stouter bill and feet more useful for standing on Terra Firma. There are mountain and desert versions too. Kingfishers are blessed with acute eyesight although they must turn their heads to direct their line of vision to make up for an inability to move their eyes easily in the socket. Kingfishers are creatures of the air and do not presume to walk on the their tootsies except to scuttle into their nesting burrows.
  The drawing on the immediate left is that of the Common Paradise Kingfisher. Now this is what I'm talking about, fashion and function married in an eye popping explosion of cinematic proportions. Just for a change Hollywood, try bringing back Astaire and Rodgers, we could use a little snappy dialog and sophistication. I rest my rant.





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37 comments:

  1. Wow, Springman! Awesome shots of the kingfisher! These birds are remarkably beautiful, and your photos have done them justice -- tiny feet and all ;-) I have yet to get my lens on one, but I would love to add some shots like these to my collection!

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  2. excellent post - and fantastic photos, awesome! I've never been able to snag a photo of these guys, though i see them all the time and love 'em! Good stuff!

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  3. I quite like your kingfishers (especially the third photo that captures their fierce nature), even if they are not as colourful as other species. But like you, I'm always amazed at how many species there are.

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  4. Great shots, Springman. I have tried to get a shot of a kingfisher many times but never succeeded.
    Lots of good information on the species as well but I disagree that the belted is drab. I think they are beautiful. Like the Steller's jay, familiarity breeds contempt but when I stop and truly look I realize he is a beautiful bird.

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  5. i love these little guys and gals. they look like tough, tiny body-builders of the bird world. all chest, no neck, tiny butt, bravado-wielding birds. and, yes, when they slam their poor little fish catches on tree limbs, you can't help but laugh. great entertainment all around - and i like small feet! :)

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  6. Your pictures are gorgeous and I enjoyed the executive summary of your e-research. But maybe I will remain happily casually -educated (if that). Because I kind of like being happy with what I've got. (and also because I'm lazy).

    Thanks, as always.

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  7. They are really great shots. It's so hard to get those guys, they're so skittish.

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  8. Springman, excellent post (as usual!)
    Love your header this week!
    The Kings are great. I'v haven't had much success with Kingfishers! The ones I've seen are super weary and I couldn't get close at all. So they are on my list of need to get a good shot!

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  9. Ah, the Belted Kingfisher. This was my photographic nemesis bird for a long time but I finally got a few shots of her. Now I'm trying t get some good video footage of the diving activity that is so exceptional.

    These are super sots of the Kingfisher Dave! Although they do have a tendency to perch in the same locations, they are very skittish when it comes to getting close. Nice job!

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  10. A beautiful little Kingfisher to see.. and thanks for another lovely read.

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  11. Amazing shots of that kingfisher! I saw my first one last week but so-so photos. Love yours!

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  12. Amazing! Those Kingfisher photos are just great!

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  13. Great photos of the kingfisher. I've found that even when there is more than one kind around they don't all like to be photographed, unfortunately!

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  14. Awesome post and shots of the Kingfisher. They are cool birds and I love to see them.

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  15. Lol.... its something that I have never noticed, but your quite right, how disproportionate.

    However your images are beautiful and the first portrait is stunning.

    As always Springman you educate us a we go along.

    Thanks
    Dave

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  16. I love the Kingfisher and you have some great shots of it. It was one of my favorites in CR. I could go back there only to see more of this bird. :)

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  18. Hi Springman I am back to comment further. Having looked at your post again I noticed the in flight Kingfisher image showing it from underneath. It is good enough to be represented in a Field Guide... its that good mate, it shows all the key features you could wish for

    Well Done
    Dave

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  19. An amazing set of images and a well-researched and interesting narrative. How did you get those critters to freeze in place, even while in the air? Great post!

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  20. its alawys amazing to me to watch them dive straight as an arrow into the cold water and come up with a fish...they are amazing and hard to photograph...Great work with your camera in this post Springman and a very interesting article about the Smaller than average FEET of this fantastic fisher!

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  21. Fantastic Kingfisher shots, Springman! Very nice! I've seen Kingfisher's a few times, but not nearly as often as I'd like.

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  22. Kingfishers are one of my favorite birds and I have yet to get even a chance to shoot one. Looks like I have some catching up to do, your photos are great!

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  23. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!
    I love your header!
    B.

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  24. how beautiful your kingfishers; fabulous moments you've captured. Great educational value too, reading your notes. Thanks for sharing!

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  25. Your fantastic photos clearly illustrate the physical features of this marvelous bird.

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  26. Your superb captures brought tears to my eyes. They reminded me of my first sighting back in the 70's at a place dear to my heart. Thanks!

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  27. Wonderful photos of the beautiful kingfisher! I never saw one in real, so thanks for showing. Great header to :)

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  28. As usually fascinating post! Thanks:)
    Joo

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  29. Hi there - what a great post. When I think about it I think that Kingfishers back in the UK (only one species) had smaller feet than expected.

    With the exception of the Kookaburras ours can be very difficult to get in the frame - but will keep trying!

    Stewart M - from the home of the world’s largest kingfisher!

    PS: splendid header!

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  30. Your photos show us a very beautiful bird. I see Kingfishers high up in the trees peering down into the lake - but never see them up close. Thanks for all the info!

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  31. Thanks for the nice comments on the eagle. It probably was a good thing having the lens set at 70mm as I probaly would have lost him in the viewfinder at 300mm while he was in flight. I've waffled back and forth as to getting a 400 but this 70-300 VR lens works so good I am trying to just be content as is. A wonderful post on the kingfisher packed with lots I didn't know. Great job. I like the last one where he is giving you the stink-eye.

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  32. A well written article & fab pics as always of a lovely bird I don`t get to see where I`m living,you have such a keen eye,love the varations of colors in the birds feathers,have a great weekend!phyllis

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  33. The clock tics midnight and WBW goes off to sleep for another week. Thanks to the talented posters this week and a shower of blessings on the commentators who make this exchange such a happy experience.
    Happy birding this week!

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  34. You know Springman, I just had to write back and answer your comment about the wonderful world of baseball... I have to admit I certainly am one of those sorry folks who now don't have much interest in even the world series. Yes it's true. After my Yankees went down swinging, although they weren't even doing that very well, I am so in withdrawl, that I'm not watching the World Series, and really have no interest in it. How a team with the most outrageous payroll and all those top players in the country can hold first place for so long and then falter at the end is beyond me! Oh well I still love them although I'd like to kick their butts, , and no doubt will be counting the days till Spring training 2012!
    Good talking to you. I do love baseball...
    Keep up with your amazing pictures, and do take care. Firefighters are my heroes!
    B.

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  35. Awesome isn't enough word, brilliant photography.

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  36. I think we may have to re-christen you as "the crested jester"; may your jesting always be full of wicked merriment, mirth, and wit, may your rants be long and vociferous...

    I saw some what I guess are "common" kingfishers skimming and swooping along the Tarn River in southern France this summer, but they were very wary (as opposed to weary :-) and kept hiding or flying off when my kayak got close enough to even think of trying a photo. What incredible patience you must have to get all these fabulous pix. Can you imagine what Audobon would have left us if he'd had a digital camera with a big telephoto lens ??? Oh to have been able to tramp the wilderness back in his time, or with the likes of John Bartram...

    I fear we have gotten a raw deal, shortchanged, born into a world already badly depleted. The Passenger Pigeon gone. The Dusky Seaside Sparrow forgotten... Orange-Band whistled his last tune and left. What I would give to go back to Mauritius or Reunion Island of the 17th century and find a Dodo Bird alive and well... and try to save a mating pair from the ultimate end. Seven billion humans on Earth and not one Dodo. What's wrong with this picture ?

    A fine weekend to you, Sir Springman... I bow to your photographic and rhetorical prowess which captures our fullest attention with rapier thrusts of the greatest finesse...

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  37. Great article. I’ve enjoyed this contribution. Its nice to see every questions answered in a blog post like this. I will add this post on my blog and link to it. Thanks for a clear informative post, I’ve learned a lot. I hope to see videos though as I can be A.D.D and reading articles is not my favorite thing to do online. So what I do sometimes is just print the whole thing and read offline.

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