“There was a nesting of the Collared Kingfisher (Actenoides concretus) at Pasir Ris Park where many photographers had their shots in April and May 2014 (above).
“I did not monitor this nest but was pleasantly surprised on 28th June to see 4 juveniles perching in the same tree (above: showing a parent with 2 juveniles). So, there were 4 in this brood. The parents were not around. The next day, the parents (below) were with one of the juveniles. I did not manage to see the others.
“Browsing through the photos, I noticed that the juveniles can be separated and identified from some subtle difference in their features. Photos showing all the individuals in close-ups are attached for readers who are interested to compare (below).
“Close-ups of the 4 juveniles are stitched into a composite for easier comparison (left). The parents are named A and B while the juveniles are named C, D, E and F in the composite image. These correspond with the larger individual images above – from top to down. Closely examining the birds’ features will expose some minor differences. Look especially at the tip of the beaks and the number of tiny white bristles below the eye.
“Would you consider the whitish tips on the beaks of the juveniles as the egg tooth?”
Kwong Wai Chong
Singapore
12th July 2014
3 Responses
Great shots!
Correction for the photo showing the 3 kingfishers together: 2 adults were with a juvenile – Parent A on the left, juvenile in the middle and Parent B on the right.
For the photos showing the parents, Parent A is shown in the photo on top and Parent B is shown on the photo below.
Great documentary. Just lovely.