Circle of life
White-throated Kingfishers (Halcyon smyrnensis) are widely distributed in Asia from the Sinai through the Indian subcontinent to China and Indonesia. It can be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even small birds. They are very adaptable and territorial, being at home fishing from canals or creeks or remnant woodland and mixed pasture. For several years I photographed a pair that took up residence on a disused motocross track. The pair would hunt for their own consumption or to raise chicks in a cavity nest dug into a muddy bank.
In this image the male Kingfisher has caught a field frog and is subduing it before taking it to the nest to feed his chicks.

Author: Graeme was born in Wellington, New Zealand. A passion for nature photography started when he was in high school in Upper Hutt, am outer suburb of Wellington. The passion has remained for many years but took a back seat to academic study and raising a family. While living in Singapore Graeme founded the Nature Photographic Society of Singapore and the society is approaching 20 years. Graeme’s first occupation was as a pharmacist in New Zealand. He returned to academic studies and obtained a PhD in biochemistry at Flinders University in South Australia. He held appointments in Birmingham UK and in Singapore where he was a Professor in a research Institute until retirement in 2011. He published over 100 Scientific Papers

Graeme retired to Penang Island in Malaysia in 2011 with his wife Helen where he had more time for nature photography.

BACK TO GALLERY