The ‘Firebird’ has appeared in Ulsan. It has been confirmed that the rare summer migratory bird, the ‘Ruddy kingfisher (호반새)’, is inhabiting a valley in Ulju-gun, Ulsan.
On July 20, Ulsan City announced that the mother Ruddy kingfisher, nesting on a soil cliff in a valley in Sangbuk-myeon and carrying food, was captured on camera by photographer Yoon Ki-deuk, who is active in Ulsan.
A kingfisher captured in a valley in Sangbuk-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan. [Image source=Photo by Yoon Ki-deuk]
Yoon, a member of the Ulsan branch of the Korea Photographers Association, said, “While photographing in the morning, I happened to discover the Ruddy kingfisher feeding, and in the afternoon, I was able to record the scene where all the chicks left the nest.”
The Ruddy kingfisher is a rare summer migratory bird with a small population; its calls are occasionally heard, but it is known to be very difficult to observe.
It is also called the ‘Firebird’ because of its thick, long beak with a deep orange hue and its entire body being reddish in color.
Belonging to the kingfisher family, the Ruddy kingfisher lives near lakes or riverside valleys and is known as a ‘master of fishing (Ruddy kingfisher)’. It has the habit of stunning caught fish, frogs, snakes, and lizards by hitting them against branches before eating them headfirst.
The Ruddy kingfisher’s nest is usually made by using old woodpecker nests in dense forests around mountain valleys or by digging holes or caves in soil cliffs. If attacked by predators such as squirrels or martens, they may abandon breeding or not use the nest the following year.
As a summer breeding migratory bird, it lays about five eggs from mid-June to July.
Photographer Yoon provided his Ruddy kingfisher works free of charge to Ulsan City to promote awareness of this rare bird visiting Ulsan and to help publicize Ulsan’s natural ecology.
An ornithology expert said, “The Ruddy kingfisher is an environmental indicator species that signals the health of the ecosystem. The fact that it has chosen Ulsan as a breeding ground means that Ulsan is ecologically healthy.”
Yoon Ki-deuk is active in Ulsan and has been recording migratory birds visiting Ulsan, including the White-naped crane and Yellow-billed stork that came to Buk-gu last December, the Fairy pitta in 2016, and the Mandarin duck, Blakiston’s fish owl, and Long-tailed tit in 2021.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
