Beautiful Birds - The Kingfisher

[@auroraborealis2442]

Thank you for the lovely video, amazing footages.

[@GregsWildlife]

Thank you!

[@FatimaElzahraa-i5c]

Amazing!!! Thank you very much

[@GregsWildlife]

Glad you like it!

[@collettekat2515]

We here in Ohio also have a species of King Fisher. They make a sort of clicking noise as they fly along the creek bank. I may not see them, but I know they are there. Thank you for sharing, beautiful video.

[@GregsWildlife]

I bet they'd look beautiful if you could see them.

[@NaturallyCuriousUK]

Excellent, another of my favourite birds! As an optometrist I was particularly interested to learn that kingfishers have two foveas in each eye. I already knew that raptors and shrikes had the same, thanks to Tim Birkhead's "Seeing" chapter in his excellent (and highly recommended) book "Bird Sense" [What It's Like To Be A Bird]. I also highly recommend Tim's "The Wisdom Of Birds" book. Good video Greg 👍👍👍🙂

[@GregsWildlife]

There's a detail I left out, that you might be interested in. Because of the two fovea in their eyes, they have monocular vision above water, but binocular vision below it. Thanks for the book recommendations, I'll keep a look out for them.

[@NaturallyCuriousUK]

@@GregsWildlife - that's interesting. I expect that that is to do with the position of the foveae in the retina. Given that the eyes are positioned on the side of the head I would surmise that the foveae for underwater binocular use are located lateral / posterior to the above-water ones so that they face forwards.

[@GregsWildlife]

I think that could be true. I'm trying to remember what the website said. I think the underwater fovea was located more centrally, does that make sense?

[@NaturallyCuriousUK]

@@GregsWildlife if the eyes were forward facing it would but with sideways facing eyes my explanation would seem to make more sense to my mind.

[@GregsWildlife]

Actually, yes, I was misremembering. It was the other way around. This is what I found: 'Kingfishers are able to switch from the main central fovea to the auxiliary fovea as they enter the water, so when the egg-shaped lens of the eye points towards it they can maintain visual acuity, or sharpness of vision.'

[@Calvin.The.Unfindable]

i enjoyed this video - i was flabergasted too - like any idem will blow to show the wind direction, why has it got to be a beautiful kingfisher - or any other light weight animal for that matter... i'm with you "humans are so stupid" - i have a tendency to talk to some YT videos, and when you said this, i shouted to you "yes, too flippin' right". sorry its been a while since i left you a comment. i have only twice seen a kingfisher, and that has been in the last couple years. stunning little birds.

[@GregsWildlife]

Thanks! I'm glad I stirred a reaction haha! I've seen a kingfisher three times I think. The first time all I got was a blur of blue on my camera. The second time I got some half decent footage which I think is in my Minsmere video. The third time it flew away before I could get my camera out.

[@Calvin.The.Unfindable]

@@GregsWildlife i've never managed to film or photograph a Kingfisher... yet!

[@GregsWildlife]

You'll get it one day, I believe in you!

[@Calvin.The.Unfindable]

@@GregsWildlife thank you. my fingers are firmly crossed :)