Pellet casting by Common Kingfisher
Posted by BESG on 29 December 07, Saturday
Contributed by Tan Gim Cheong
ON 20th December 2007 Tan Gim Cheong sent in an exciting image of a Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) in the act of casting a large pellet.
“Managed to catch this Common Kingfisher casting a pellet, even sent debris flying to the upper left! The pellet is large relative to the size of the bird, for example the Spotted Wood Owl’s pellet is a much smaller percentage of its body size.”
Yes, most birds that eat animal prey cast the indigestible parts like bones, fur, etc after compaction in the gizzard in the form of pellets. Birds that eat insect similarly cast pellets of the exoskeleton, as seen in bee-eaters. Those that eat hairy caterpillars cast pellets of the hairs.
Local birders have always known that raptors and owls regularly cast pellets. Only of late have birders become aware that other birds also cast pellets.
This blog highlighted pellet casting as far back as March 2006 and Jianzhong Liu was kind enough to submit an image of a Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus) doing just that.
Subsequent to this, other bird photographers also managed to catch various species in the act of pellet casting – Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) and Spotted Wood Owl (Strix seloputo).
It is heartening to know that birders and bird photographers are keeping an eye on bird behaviour when out in the field. After all, birding will always be more enjoyable if we also pay attention to bird behaviour.
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Categories: Kingfishers, Pellets
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