Alcedo Ispida, LINNÆUS; L'Alcyon, ou Martin Pêcheur, BUFFON;
Der Eisvogel, BECHSTEIN.
The length of this bird is seven inches, of which the short tail only
measures one and a quarter, the legs are very short, being only four
lines in height, and the outer claw is united to the centre one, as far
as the first joint. The beak, an inch and a half in length, is strong,
straight and pointed. The iris is dark brown; the top of the head and
the wing-coverts are of a deep green; the one with transverse and the
other with oval spots of a beautiful sky blue. The back and shoulders
shine with the most beautiful blue. In the female the colours are
darker, and the sky blue there is in them only meadow green.
HABITATION.--When wild this is a solitary bird, which remains the
whole year on the edges of ponds, streams, and rivers. During the
winter it may be seen watching for its prey at the holes in the ice,
placed on a stone or stick, or perched on the branch of a tree.
In the house it does not walk or hop, but flies or remains perched.
It is very necessary to put some turf or branches in a corner, or it
must be kept in a cage with a perch; it constantly remains in the
same place.
FOOD.--In its wild state its food is small fish, leeches, and, indeed,
all aquatic worms and insects. In the house it must be given as much
as possible the same, accustoming it by degrees to eat meat. It is
very rarely that those taken when old can be preserved. I have seen
one, however, which ate even dead fish. The meat and small fish for
its food must be put into a bowl of fresh water, large enough, or so
firmly fixed, that it may not be easily overturned. When taking its
food it does not hop to the bottom of the cage, but stretches itself
downwards till it can reach the water with its beak, at least if it
be not a young one reared in the house.--It will not eat while being
looked at.
MR. PAXTON'S METHOD OF MANAGEMENT.--"Having become possessed," says
Mr. Paxton, "of some young kingfishers last summer, we were very
anxious to rear them; this we have accomplished, and, to the best of
our information, it is the first time kingfishers were ever reared by
hand. To accomplish this object we had a wire cage constructed about
ten feet long, and four broad; the back part of the cage was made to
imitate, as nearly as possible, the banks of a river;--through this
cage a small stream of water was conducted, in which the birds
received their food, &c. When the young birds were first taken from
the nest, minnows and bullheads were their principal food; they have
since been fed on almost every species of fresh-water fish, although
they evince a marked preference for trout.
"Immediately on a quantity of small fish being put into the stream of
water, they commence killing them, regardless of who may be near; and
so surely do they strike, that, although we have repeatedly observed
them, we never yet saw them miss their prey. As soon as they have
caught a fish they kill it, by knocking its head against anything
that may be near them. The quantity of fish consumed by each bird is
almost incredible--we should think on the average not less than six
ounces a day each; they could not exist twenty-four hours without
food, so they quickly digest it. There can be no doubt that the sole
reason of the kingfisher migrating to the sea-side on the approach of
severe weather, arises from the voracity of its appetite.
"They are quite tame and domesticated, frequently sitting on the head
or shoulder of the person who is in the habit of cleaning out their
little dwelling. They are also very cleanly. We have observed them
dive into the water as many as forty times incessantly, for the
purpose of washing--this is generally done in the evening.
"Although they appear satisfied with their confinement, they are far
from being friendly with each other; they fight with their wings,
something after the manner of the swan; this is rather surprising, as
they are very dexterous with their bills when seizing their prey.
"We have tried to rear others in a common cage, feeding them partly
on flesh, but never succeeded."
BREEDING.--A hole at the edge of the water is the place in which it
builds its nest, which is formed on the outside of small roots, and
lined with feathers. Its eggs in general are eight in number, and
quite white. In the young ones, before the feathers grow, the stubs
are so long and straight that they might be taken for so many little
bristles. As soon as the young can see clearly, and before the
feathers begin to sprout, is the time to take them from the nest;
they must be fed first on ants' eggs, meal worms, and other worms and
afterwards accustomed by degrees to meat; they will be preserved in
good health for a much longer time, if care be taken always to give
them their food in fresh water, rather than let them pick it up from
the ground.
MODE OF TAKING.--When the place which one of these birds frequents
most, and which is generally near an eddy in the water, is well
known, a stake must be fixed to which the snare, called a springe,
can be fastened; by this means the bird may be easily taken.
Lime-twigs may also be put on a bush or stake near the water's edge,
provided it does not hang so much over the water as to risk the
bird's falling into it when fixed by the lime.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Its great attractions are its beauty, for it is
not well proportioned, and all its motions are sudden.