Azure Kingfisher by Ken _Gilliland

DAZ|Studio • Animals • posted on Jun 11, 2021

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Description

A render testing the DS version of my updated Australia v1... a much better kingfisher than the previous version ;) The update is in beta now and should be released soon. The Azure Kingfisher is found in Northern and Eastern Australia and Tasmania, as well as in the Moluccas and Lesser Sundas (Indonesia), New Guinea and surrounding islands. Their habitat includes the banks of vegetated rivers and creeks as well as billabongs, lakes, swamps and dams, usually in shady overhanging vegetation. It is sometimes seen in parks on rivers, as well as duck or goldfish ponds in urban areas. It's a medium sized Kingfisher measuring 17-19 cm (6.7-7.5 inches) in length. It sits on a perch 1–10 m above water, occasionally bobbing head or cocking tail, or moving whole body up and down; then plunges into water for prey and returns with it to perch, where the prey is battered before being swallowed head first. Sometimes, it hovers briefly above its prey before diving into the water. In a deep dive, the whole body is streamlined, but in a shallow one the wings are half-open. It occasionally takes insects in flight, or terrestrial beetles from the ground. It will follow a foraging platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) to catch fish and shrimps disturbed by it.