In Search of the Crested Kingfisher

On Saturday 29 March 2013, with some local knowledge and a determination to find the elusive Crested Kingfisher, we set off to our destination deep into the Margalla Hills range and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The first 45 minutes or so was on a black top tarmacadam road but after that point our journey took us an hour’s further drive along a deeply rutted and difficult jeep track. The track is only accessible by 4WD and included the fording of the river. Towards the end of the journey we saw a couple of classic, early Toyota jeeps and the roar of their engines suggested something pretty hefty under the bonnet. I would love one of those!

Haunt of the Crested Kingfisher Islbirder

We had followed the course of the river during our drive and where we finally stopped was in an area where the river’s course had dug a deep gorge. The water was fast flowing and crystal clear. It was also clean and unpolluted; this was indicated by the size of the Brown Trout and Golden Mahseer that were taking flies off the surface. These fish are protected and are looked after by a local man who, later in the day, sat on the riverbank to feed them.

Male Plumbeous Redstart Sarel van Zyl

We asked a couple of villages if they had noticed any unusual birds in the area. Both were convincing in their descriptions of a large fishing bird with a dagger-like bill and crest on its head. They both saw the birds regularly in the area we had positioned ourselves. This confirmation only added to the excitement and sense of apprehension. Was this the day we would see this extremely rare bird in Pakistan? We were all set; he right habitat and local confirmation that the bird frequented the area.

Needless to say that in such a pristine location, there were distractions. The most immediate were the pair of beautiful PLUMBEOUS REDSTART that performed so well for us and were brilliantly captured by the photographers. The male is a soft dark-blue colour with the plum-coloured tail that gives the species its common name. The female is quite different with an overall pale grey body colour and a white rump. The underparts are spectacularly marked with scalloped shaped edging to the breast feathers. We saw at least another two pairs of this species that were taking advantage of the appropriate habitat a little further upstream. The air was full of the trilling song of the male Plumbeous Redstart that was interspersed with a plaintive whistle.

Female Plumbeous Redstarts Sarel van Zyl

It was no great surprise but equally thrilling to find two WHITE-CAPPED WATER REDSTART, a species that is often found in the same areas as Plumbeous Redstart. An equally spectacular species with its gleaming white cap. Another species that is adapted to fast-flowing water is the GREY WAGTAIL and a pair of these birds was also nearby.

Whilst the photographers did their thing and with no sign of a Crested Kingfisher, I sought out other species in the mature, mixed woodland that followed the river’s course. A loud and piercing chwee call had me looking for a BROOK’S WARBLER and it wasn’t long before I found a couple of these tiny washed out versions of Lemon-rumped Warbler. It has the crown stripe, supercilium, double wingbars and even paler rump but compared to the Lemon-rumped Warbler, it’s as though the artist had run out of bright colours when creating a BROOK’S WARBLER. Nice to find nonetheless!

Overhead, newly arrived RED-RUMPED SWALLOW hawked the air for insects, their elongated tail feathers obvious. We later stopped to watch some gathering mud with which to build their nests along a wetter part of the jeep track. A large Eagle sp. made the briefest of appearances over the ridge of one of the surrounding hills but we did not have enough of a view to name it, unfortunately.

Back amongst the trees and in the canopy was a definite Flycatcher that conveniently came to rest and started to preen. I managed to get the bird in the ‘scope and it was a RED-THROATED FLYCATCHER. According to Grimmet et al it is a very common double passage migrant through Pakistan. However, there has been a change in nomenclature and we should now be calling Red-throated Flycatcher by its new name TAIGA FLYCATCHER Ficedula albicila. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva has now been split from Red-throated Flycatcher and both are treated as distinct species. So, if you see a Red-throated Flycatcher in Pakistan it’s a TAIGA FLYCATCHER. If you see a Red-breasted Flycatcher in Pakistan we should all become very excited.

Male Taiga Flycatcher (note the all dark bill) Sarel van Zyl

There was still no sign of a Crested Kingfisher but I was pleasantly occupied watching a BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH and a BLUE-THROATED BARBET uttering its weird jalopy-engine call. It’s only a couple of weeks or so since I saw my first CHESTNUT-BELLIED NUTHATCH, quickly followed by another pair and now followed by, yet another pair here and another pair during our return journey along the track. Regular readers will remember the remarkable photographs of a recent male. However, this time, the female was caught on camera. Some may suggest it but no, this is not a Kashmir Nuthatch (much as I would like it to be) but an adult female CHESTNUT-BELLIED NUTHATCH. Female Kashmir Nuthatches do not have a distinctive white cheek patch.

Female Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sarel van Zyl

So, you have probably guessed it by now. Yep! We dipped on the Crested Kingfisher. Several hours of staking out this wonderful location failed to register a single sighting, not even a flyby. Whether I will ever persuade RMK to repeat this journey in his treasured 4WD is a moot point. However, once again, this amazing country and its outstanding wildlife produced some incredible moments. I am again indebted to my photographer companions without whose beautiful pictures this Blog would be a right old drag.

Photographers Taking a Breather Islbirder