Leave something for birds to perch on, and birds will perch on them! I was lucky to spot this Collared Kingfisher as it began to drizzle late one afternoon.

This seems to be the season for new birds in the garden! We’ve been hearing the call of the kingfisher and assumed that it was the Smyrna kingfisher that we’ve seen several times before. However, I caught sight of a kingfisher as it began to rain, and when I examined the photos, realised it was not our usual visitor!

I discovered that it was the White Collared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris) and that it is the most common kingfisher in Singapore. They are known to be fiercely territorial to all birds, including other kingfishers, and are possibly the reason why other kingfisher species are in decline now. That isn’t nice news to me because I quite like the Smyrna or White-throated kingfisher. Just look at it below:

What an interesting colour combination of electric blue, teddy bear brown and white!

We shall see how this kingfisher drama plays out.

For older posts on the Smyrna kingfisher, follow this link: the Smyrna Kingfisher

For more information about the Collared kingfisher, visit Ria Tan’s site on Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve.

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