Sacred Kingfisher - Kōtare
Mainly found in the North Island you will often see them sitting high on a perch near or on a washing line.
The Sacred Kingfisher is of stocky build and has a big heavy bill. It has green-blue back feathers that turn yellow on its undersides. They are a relative of the Australian Kookaburra (not the British Kingfishers it’s named after) and share the same shape as them. Some New Zealand Kingfishers even have a similar cackle of a call.
They live in nests at the end of short tunnels dug into earth banks. They will fly directly into the side of a bank stabbing their bills in to start the tunnel hole. This can take some time and can require many head on collisions to get it started.
What do Sacred Kingfisher eat?
Sacred Kingfishers eat their prey whole, if its large they will smash it on a hard surface before they swallow it. They enjoy insects, lizards, crabs, spiders and small birds - often Silvereyes. They will even steal worms from another bird if they get the chance.
