Tuesday 30 June 2015

Juvenile Kingfisher at WCP.

 A juvenile Kingfisher was a nice catch at Watermead CP this morning.
 Possibly a male as the crown, lower back and rump are predominantly blue or blue-green.
 However, some of the lower mandible is pale orange, although males can also have some pale orange at the base.


 Brown smudges on the breast feathers, another juvenile feature.
 Without these subtle features, viewed at distance, this bird would possibly pass as an adult male.
 Brown on the front of the tarsus and upper foot aged this as a 3. Just visible in this image.
 I love the white throat patch. The dark breast band shows up well in this image.
 As always with Kingfishers, prior to release they are very happy to pose for the camera!
The crown appears more green or green-blue in this photo, hence our caution with sexing.


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