Dahe Bao Yu video reporter Liu Ruichao
Ever heard of crowned fish dogs? Everyone may wonder whether the crowned fish dog is a fish or a dog, and it is not clear. In fact, the crowned fish dog is not a fish or a dog, but a bird, a kind of kingfisher.
On the afternoon of January 20, mr. Huang, a bird lover, accidentally found this rare kingfisher while photographing ordinary kingfishers in the WeiHe River in the Xunxian section. What is even more peculiar is that the crowned fish dog belongs to the Dharma monk order, the kingfisher family, and the genus Big Fish Dog. Dharma monks, it sounds like a high monk, in fact, the Dai Sheng that everyone is familiar with also belongs to the Dharma monks.
The crowned fish dog is easier to distinguish, mainly because of its "hairstyle", plumage and habits. According to the pictures transmitted by bird friends, the crowned fish dog has a distinct crown of feathers, the body feathers are black, with many white ovals or other large spots of shape, and the middle of the crown is basically all white, with only a few white round spots.
According to the understanding, the crowned fish dog is a medium-sized bird. Body length 24-26 cm. It often inhabits streams, foothill plains, shrublands or sparse forests, clear and slow-flowing rivers, streams, lakes, and irrigation canals. It is dominated by small fish, but also eats crustaceans and a variety of aquatic insects and their larvae, pecking at small frogs and a small number of aquatic plants.
The crowned fish dog is the larger of the flocks of fish-eating kingfishers. They often wait at the water's edge for small fish to appear, resembling hounds crouching, hence the name. Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" (Bird I Fish Dog) records: Fish Tiger, Fish Master, Kingfisher Bird. Dogs, tigers, and masters are all eaters of beasts. This bird is harmful to fish, hence the name.
The crowned fish dog is a larger type of fish dog, usually on the branches near the water' edge, waiting for opportunities to hunt. The crowned fish dog has better vision, and when it is immersed in the water, it can also maintain excellent vision. After entering the water, the eye can quickly adjust the contrast in the angle of view caused by the light in the water, so the fishing ability is very strong. After catching its prey, it will continue to fiddle, playing a cat-and-mouse game, and eventually let the fish head down into its stomach.
The Dahe Newspaper Yu video reporter learned that the crowned fish dog is a "three haves" protected animal in the mainland and has been included in the IUCN's 2012 Red List of Threatened Species, but it is now in a state of no danger.
Source: Dahe News Yu Video Editor: Niu Zhongzhen