Sacred Kingfisher

Scientific Name Astro Birdie

Native Yes

Family Halcyonidae

Common Weight 55 Grams

Common Height 14 CM

Common Length 21 CM

Identification

The sacred kingfisher is a distinctive bird with a green-blue back, buff to yellow undersides and a large black bill. they can be found nearby tidal beaches and powerlines on Waiheke.

The sacred kingfisher is a medium-sized bird with a green-blue back, yellow-buff undersides, a large pointed black bill, a broad black eye-stripe from lores to ear-coverts, and a white collar in adults. Immatures are duller, with buff feather edges on upper parts and brownish mottling on the chest and collar.

usually you will spot a hunched silhouette waiting patiently on a powerline or other elevated perch over an estuary or mudflat which converts in a flash to a streak of green diving steeply to catch a prey item.

They are most conspicuous when roosting on powerlines along estuaries or coastal roads. Kingfishers will use a wide range of perches, including washing lines, fences stacked rocks etc. generally more than two metres above the ground. They rarely perch on the ground.

Kingfishers have a wide range of unmusical calls, the most distinctive of which is the staccato ‘kek-kek-kek’ territorial call.

Their main habitats are a wide range of forest, river margins, farmland, lakes estuaries and rocky coastlines; anywhere where there is water or open country with adjacent elevated perches.

Kingfishers congregate in coastal districts and lowlands during winter. They have benefited from the creation of artificial structures such as powerlines and posts beside and over estuaries. They have also probably benefited from forest clearance and the increased amount of forest edge habitat and the planting of exotics (willow & poplar along rivers).

Waiheke Wildlife

Welcome Swallow

Welcome swallows are small fast-flying birds, they are usually seen around waiheke during breeding season between August and February on powerlines, fences and beaches.

Great black-backed gull

The Black-backed gull is a large black-and-white gull with a white head and underparts, black back, yellow bill with a red spot near the tip. Located on Waiheke beaches.

Grey Warbler

The Grey Warbler is a tiny olive-grey song bird often heard before seen. Locations on Waiheke are dense woody vegetations. The warbler can be difficult to spot.

Fantail

The Fantail is a well known NZ bird due to its distinctive fanned tail. Locations found on Waiheke are any well-treed parks, bush walks and even properties.

Kaka

The Kaka is a large, olive-brown parrot with grey-white crown, red-orange underwing and deep crimson belly, located in tree covered areas around Onetangi.

Bar-tailed Godwit

The Godwit is a migrant from Alaska, they fly 8-9 days straight to arrive in NZ. They can be found on Waiheke from September - March located at Blackpool.

Spur-winged Plover

The Spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with a yellow bill and spurs on each wing, locations found on Waiheke are Blackpool, Maori hill and Whakanewha.

Tui

The Tui is a iridescent blue-green honeyeater with two curled white feather tufts on the throat. Locations found on Waiheke are around flaxes feeding off nectar.

Pied Stilt

The pied stilt is a dainty wading bird, It is common at wetlands and coastal areas, found on Waiheke at Putiki Bay, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Red Billed Gull

The red-billed gull also known as a "Seagull" is common around New Zealand Coasts. Located everywhere on Waiheke beaches where food or bait is readily accessible.

NZ Dotterel

The New Zealand Dotterel is a shorebird which breeds on beaches in NZ's North Island. Locations found on Waiheke are Whakanewha, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Spotted Turtle Dove

The spotted dove is a medium-sized, long-tailed dove, with a greyish head and speckled greyish brown upperparts. Found on Waiheke around gardens and the rooster reserve.

Magpie

The Magpie is a large black-and-white songbird, It was introduced from Australia. It can be found on Waiheke around farmland and large grass reserves.

Common Myna

Mynas are stocky brown birds with a shiny black head and shoulders. Commonly found on road sides on Waiheke, usually playing chicken with cars while foraging for food.

Pied Shag

This large black-and-white shag is often seen individually or in a group, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around fisherman by the rocks of Waiheke.

Little Shag

The little shag is a small shag, with a short yellow bill, black feet, a relatively long tail, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around Waiheke…

Variable Oyster Catcher

The variable oystercatcher is a stocky coastal bird with a long, bright orange bill, it is located on many quiet beaches such as Blackpool, Whakanewha and Anzac bay.

Australasian Gannet

The gannet is a large slender-bodied seabird with mainly white plumage, buff-yellow head and neck. Occassionally seen around Waiheke searching for food in ocean depths.

Wood Pigeon

The Wood pigeon is a large distinctively-coloured pigeon, it is easy to find on Waiheke due to its size, they are usually perched on powerlines or trees.

Thrush

The thrush is a medium-sized songbird with a speckled brown-on-cream breast, usually heard before it is seen, found in grass reserves, gardens and trees on Waiheke.

White Fronted Tern

The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized, long-tailed sea tern commonly around New Zealand coasts. Spotted congregating on Waiheke wharfs such as Matiatia and Orapiu.

Black Bird

The black bird is a medium-sized songbird that is entirely black in adult males with a yellow bill. Abundantly found on Waiheke around household properties and trees.

Pūkeko

The Pukeko is a large relatively compact rail with a deep blue-violet head, breast and throat and a red bill. Found in swamp/Mangrove areas of Waiheke Island.

White-Eye

A small songbird, immediately recognisable by its distinctive white eye-ring. This quick little bird can be found feeding off flax and kowhais or fruit trees on Waiheke.

White Faced Heron

The white-faced heron is a tall, elegant, blue-grey bird usually spotted stalking prey. Locations found on Waiheke are Mangroves, Anzac bay and quiet beaches.

The sacred kingfisher is a distinctive bird with a green-blue back, buff to yellow undersides and a large black bill. they can be found nearby tidal beaches on waiheke.

Breeding

Mating occurs in early September with nest building or refurbishment in October. Second clutches can be laid as late as February.

Nest sites are in a wide range of trees sites, cliffs, banks and cuttings.

A nest chamber is excavated initially by repeatedly flying at the intended site and using the bill to chisel out dirt. Once a purchase point is created, the birds peck and scoop out the rest of the nesting tunnel and nest chamber.

The nest is generally not lined, but regurgitations can accumulate. Their eggs are smooth glossy white.

Incubation is shared, but predominantly by the female.

Nests can be evicted by starlings, mynas and sparrows. Adults can be extremely aggressive in defending nesting site, strategies include repeated staccato calls from nearby perches, responses to calls by neighbouring pairs, and dive-bombing of birds (including other kingfishers) and mammals.

Food

A wide range of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates are taken, mostly from the ground, depending on the habitat.

In estuarine mudflats the diet is mainly small crabs. In freshwater habitats a range of tadpoles and small fish are taken.

In open country insects such as cicadas, beetles, stick insects and weta are caught, along with spiders and small vertebrates, including lizards, mice and small birds.

Kingfishers return to a perch with their prey, where they batter larger items before consumption. Various hunting strategies have been reported where birds sally forth from a perch and return with prey, plunge either shallowly or deeply into water, or probe into rotten logs. Prey are swallowed whole and pellets of indigestible remains are regurgitated.

Chicks are fed by both parents on food similar to the adult diet. At some sites small chicks were fed spiders and insects, with larger items of food such as fish included as the chicks grew.

Chicks are initially fed in the nest but as they grow they are called out to the entrance by the adult. Chicks are fed for 7-10 days after leaving the nest and then start to catch food for themselves.

Waiheke Locations

Powerlines, Fences and Trees– Perched watching for food. I have a few that perch on our powerline by my deck.

Tidal beaches – Putiki Bay, Rocky Bay, Anzac Bay

Kingfishers are flying birds so they can really be anywhere on Waiheke but not just Waiheke they are all over New Zealand, these are just areas I’ve spotted them and photographed.