This "Flying Carrot" as we named it because of the bright red color in flight is only 13 cm. A small Kingfisher but easy to spot. Again its presence is confirmed by its call in flight. Not sure whether the bird is migratory. the very well-known one month breeding season in Perdik attracted world wide attention. Then in Rengit the bird was known to make a morning ritual at 9.00 am for its bath. These were the scattered report of its behavior. Most pictures were taken in the period of April till June, well past the migratory period of the northern season.

This birds also choose water but not necessary streams or brooks. It prefers jungle with running water and it is in these places, it gets a large variety of foods. The photographers recorded well over 10 different types. Most preferred Lizard, crabs, prawns, small fishes and insects. The bird would whizzed past thick foliages over trickling  waterways.

The first of the "big" Kingfishers, the Banded Kingfisher appeared bulky at 23 cm in size. The bird is heard very often in dense forest. As it chooses the canopy with thick foliages, it hardly spotted. It will remain in that same perch for long period of time at times the male making the loud familiar calls.

Another habit of the bird of raising its crown feathers and lowering them in a wave movements. What surprises me is that the bird do descend to lower storey and likewise perched. Most heard in the forest of Congkak and Rengit which are lowland forest. The birds in my pictures are taken in Bukit Tinggi and Awana, both having near sub-montane environment. The bird was also in Cape Richardo [Tanjong Tuan] seen during the Raptor watch, a mangrove forest environment. The call is quite distinctive and easily learnt. This is a resident and should be available throughout the year.

At 30cm, the Black-capped Kingfisher is a large bird. This is a bird of the Andaman Seas on the west and Southern China, Taiwan & Korean Peninsula on the east. It is a passage migrant through Malaysia in northern winter. Seen for a longer period in September/October and much shorter duration in January.

The bird has a preference for Mangrove forest and could appear in good numbers. I have spotted up to 13 birds in a day. This bird also stray into deep forest with waterways. Example in Kemensah beside a small pond and in Raub over a huge river. Far out in the mudflats in Jeram.

I have noticed that over the years, the birds got more sensitive and took flight long before we approach the spot. Its perched on the lower and middle storey, usually fairly open space. It diet in the mangrove forest was good size mud crabs.

The Brown-winged Kingfisher at 37 cm is a huge bird. This is an eastern Indian bird also in Bangladesh and now spread down the coast of the Andaman Sea. In Malaysia, only spotted in 2 locations on Langkawai Island.

The bird chooses bare branches or exposed twigs in middle storey to make its call. Perhaps to allow  the loud call heard over longer distances. Not shy bird and limited in numbers, so it hard to meet up with. I don't think it is migratory and therefore should be a resident.

Brown-winged Kingfisher # 5

The Collared Kingfisher is 25cm large. This is another very common Kingfisher this time at the Mangrove forest. They never failed to be present and with their signature call, they brighten up life in the Mangrove forest. The bird is found within a belt stretching from the Arabian Red Sea coast along the Indian Sub-continent and down to the Islands in the Greater Sundas.

Seeing them that often and without fail at the mangrove forest I assumed that they are local. Now I read that there are too passage migrants. Now I understand why at certain times of the year, there seem to be an increase in numbers of the bird sighted.

At 24 cm this Rufous-collared Kingfisher is the size of the Collared Kingfisher. This is a bird of the Sumatra and Borneo Island. The face feature a pair of very prominent eyes.

Another bird which is a resident but hardly seen but sometimes heard. This bird prefer upper storey and concealed among the foliages. very little is known about this bird other than its unique calls. The pictures were taken in Perdik, thick pristine forest.

At 39 cm. this Stork-billed perhaps is the largest Kingfisher we have in Peninsula Malaysia. This bird originally resident of the Indian sub-continent and the Greater Sundas, stays beside water ways. Canals, ponds and sea coast.

They are more obvious in the northern states, especially in Perak and more often in the mangrove forest. So if you are around in Kual Gula area, you cannot miss seeing this bird which is in abundance. Here in central area, the bird is common in Kuala Selangor and FRIM of Kuala Lumpur.

It is very colorful and prefer open branches, very easy to spot. Sometimes it makes continuous loud calls to the annoyance of the neighborhood. Again another resident that can be spotted throughout the year.

At 28 cm, this is an average size Kingfisher. The bird existence spread along a belt of land from northern Egypt , Indian Sub-continent, South China down to South east Asia, omitting Thailand.

This is the most welcoming trash bird. Colorful with plenty of calls through out the day and seen in every corner of Malaysia. Welcoming in the sense that on a fruitless birding trip, the bird is likely to be there to keep company. This is such a prolific breeder.