Many people have the impression that the body feathers of kingfishers are usually bright blue and green. On August 6, technicians at the Longling Little Black Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve in Baoshan City found a kingfisher with black and white and feather markings that resembled blue and white porcelain spots. After the identification of Zeng Wei, a technician of the Kunming Survey and Design Institute of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, it was determined to be a spotted fish dog of the genus Kingfisher family.
△ Photo by Li Fafang
According to reports, this feather color is significantly different from the common kingfisher, and the peculiar spotted fish dog is the first time that Li Fafang, a photography enthusiast in Longling County, has taken a new photo in the surrounding area of Longling Little Black Mountain Conservation Area, which belongs to the new record of wildlife in the county.
This is also the ninth new county wildlife record (including 8 new bird records) found in Longling County since 2021. So far, Longling County has known 299 species of wild birds, accounting for 31.64% of the 945 species of birds in Yunnan Province (Sun Hang and Gao Zhengwen, etc., List of Biological Species of Yunnan Province, 2016 edition). At the same time, the species of wild vertebrates in the Little Black Mountain Reserve in Longling County have increased from 468 in 2006 to 543 now.
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In the name of "dog", but wearing a black and white feather "battle robe"; it looks very ordinary, but it is a fishing expert; often active on the shore of the water, but the nest is built on the cliff... These habits and characteristics are also peculiar to the spotted fish dog. "Spotted fish dogs have high requirements for the quality of the natural ecological environment of breeding and habitat. It is rare in most areas of Yunnan Province, and it is also alert, and the chances of encountering it are very low. Zeng Wei introduced.
In addition, although the spotted fish dog is often active on the shore of the water, it does not nest in trees and grass, and usually the adult bird will use the slender pointed beak (beak) to dig a hole in the steep soil wall on the shore of the water to make a nest, and the depth of the nest can reach about 1 meter. This way of nesting can reduce the chance of being attacked (invaded) by predators.
So, obviously it is a bird, why is it called "spotted fish dog"?
According to Zeng Wei, the term "fish dog" has a historical origin. In the Song Dynasty Luo Yuan's article "Erya Yi", it is recorded: "Eagle, tengu. The female nests in the soil. Taste the winter moon from its burrow into a foot, chick in it. Its beak is red and its beak is white. Yi Lai people steal fish food from the pond. Today people call it a fish dog." Among them, the original meaning of "eagle" is the posture of the bird standing for a long time, and later became another name for the kingfisher. In addition, Li Shizhen also explained the kingfisher's nicknames of "fish dog", "fish tiger" and "fish lion" in the "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Dogs, tigers, and lions are all eaters of beasts." This bird loves fish, hence the name.". There are different theories about the name "Spotted Fish Dog", but it has been agreed upon over the years, and the strange name is more memorable.
According to the photographer Li Fafang, this bird (spotted fish dog) has never been seen in Longling before, and because it is very alert, it is not easy to approach. "It felt like it was scary, and I took a lot of effort to shoot it with a long focal length." Li Fafang said that in recent years, more birds can be seen in Longling than before, which is directly related to the local ecological environment getting better and better.
Source: Spring City Evening News - Kaiping News Reporter Cui Min, Correspondent Yu Yunjiang, Cai Shuangfa