Kingfisher – Kotare
This handsome bird (common throughout NZ) has a deep blue-green head, yellow under parts, black eye & yellow eyebrows. It makes its nesting burrows in a spectacular manner.
It flies at full speed, diving its long bill into an earth or clay bank. It uses its bill to excavate a tunnel. Once this tunnel is big enough to perch in the kingfisher pecks & scoops out the loose earth. Despite its name fish is only a small part of the kingfisher’s diet. They enjoy crab, mice, small birds, lizards & insects.