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Goa Photographer Captures 24/7 Kingfisher Family
15 Apr
Summary
- Photographer documented kingfisher life cycle 24/7 for three years.
- Male kingfisher mated with three different females over three years.
- Parents use starvation tactics to encourage hatchlings' first flight.
In a remarkable feat of dedication, Goa-based photographer Shailendra Naik has completed the first-ever 24/7 documentation of the oriental dwarf kingfisher's life cycle within the state. Over three years, Naik meticulously observed a nest in Ponda, capturing the entire breeding process, from courtship to fledging, for twelve young birds.
Naik's efforts revealed that a single male kingfisher can mate with multiple females, observing one such male pair with three different females across the study period. The nesting cycle, occurring annually from late May to September, relies on nearby water bodies for sustenance. Both parents actively share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Insights gained include the parents' unique method of encouraging hatchlings to fly by withholding food until they are coaxed out with prey. The study also highlighted the challenges faced, such as predation attempts by snakes and monitor lizards attracted by nest waste, and the vulnerability of the weakest hatchling.
Naik utilized two CCTV cameras and his own camera for non-invasive monitoring, ensuring the birds' natural behavior remained undisturbed. This approach, he emphasizes, is the most ethical way to study shy species and underscores the importance of even small green spaces in semi-urban areas for wildlife conservation.
