Azure Kingfisher
Kakadu National Park, Australia

Six Inches of Pure Hunter

It is a privilege to spend time with predator animals. Graceful, they are usually shaped for speed. Alert, they can explode into dynamic action. My favorite aspect of predators is watching them think. You can see a predator look at things, whether it is a potential meal, or the photographer. (ideally those are two different things) This Azure Kingfisher on Yellow Water Billabong was tracking fish eight feet below from this perch by ducking his head back and forth around the branch. It makes me wonder if this little bird is using the branch for cover from the view below.

My cat is certainly aware of cover and how to use it so that the string can’t see her coming. She also demonstrates behavior that shows she has a mental map of her surroundings. Take the string and run it behind a large obstacle like a box and she will anticipate its path and speed to be at the other side at the right moment. Not only does she know that the string can pass behind the box, but she changes the timing of her attack based on how fast the string is moving when it vanished from direct sight. Change the obstacle and she’ll chase the string directly rather than try to cut it off on the other side. Once she knows the shape of the obstacle, (and updates her mental map) she goes back to ambush tactics.

Every photo I have of this kingfisher has him sitting on a branch big enough to hide at least half his body from view from the water below. Makes you think.

Exact shipping cost will be billed when your artwork ships.