Notes on the Curious Diet of the White-throated Kingfisher in Nepal
The Species and its Diet
The White-throated Kingfisher (AKA White-breasted Kingfisher) Halcyon Smyrnensis is a common bird found throughout much of Asia. Its diet consists of a wide range of insects, reptiles, vertebrate and even small birds. It would seem to be a very successful species based on it broad diet and variety of habitats.
Chitwan National Park in Nepal
Chitwan NP is mostly visited via the town of Sauhara, a village on the Terai located southwest of Nepal's capital, Katmandu. Sauhara has accommodation and eateries for every budget, and it is reached by tourist bus in about 5 hours by either Kathmandu or Pokhara. Bird life abounds in and around the Park. More than 500 species have been found within Chitwan and some local guides have life lists in excess of 400 species. An experienced birdwatcher can see 100 species in single day.
An Account of a White-throated Kingfisher with a Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola) 14 Jan 2010
While walking along a small stream west of Sauhara village, I observed a White-throated Kingfisher perched on a dead branch about 5 feet above the stream. I could see a small bird in its bill, and the Kingfisher was whacking the bird against the branch upon which it was perched. There were many Plain Martins in swift flight around the area, and I could see that the Kingfisher had the same species in its bill. Over the course of about 10 minutes, the Kingfisher made several attempts to align the Plain Martin so that it could be swallowed head first. I did not see whether or not the Kingfisher swallowed the Martin, as I was eventually distracted by the sighting of a Lesser Adjutant Stork Leptoptilos javanicus
An Account of a White-throated Kingfisher with a small bat species 25 Jan 2011
Approximately one year after the previous incident mentioned above, I found myself the observer of another peculiar incident involving a White-throated Kingfisher. This time the Kingfisher was perched about 15 feet from the ground in a large tree in an open forest setting. The time was about mid-day, and the prey was a small bat species in the bill the Kingfisher which was whacked about and then swallowed quite quickly.
References
Grimmett, R. Inskipp, C. Inskipp, T. : Helm Field Guides Birds of Nepal 2000.
Birdlife International Species Data sheet. Internet Resource
White-throated Kingfisher
Plain Martin
Lesser Adjutant