Alfred Ng was at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in November 2019 when he encountered a Blackcapped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) hovering above the intertidal zone before plunging down to pick up a large crab from the muddy water.
Alfred Ng refers to his image of the kingfisher losing its catch as shown below: “A reverse sequence of *FIM (Foot In Mouth), and (the kingfisher) lost its food on its way.”
The kingfisher managed to grab the large crab by one of its limbs. However, when flying off with its prey, the crab fell off and the kingfisher lost its meal – except a short segment of the limb. The weight of the crab and the struggle to escape most probably caused a joint in the limb that the kingfisher had between its mandibles to detach. After all, crab’s limbs can be easily detached at a special joint. However, it can regenerate a detached limb in subsequent moults.
Had the kingfisher caught a smaller crab, it would have has its meal LINK
Alfred Ng
Singapore
7th November 2019
This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behaviour through photography and videography to a wider audience.
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