In Israel, three species of kingfishers can be found: the pied kingfisher, the common kingfisher, and the white-throated kingfisher, the largest and most widespread of them all. While kingfishers are often known as expert fish hunters, the white-throated species stands apart. To understand what makes this colorful and vocal bird so successful, we spoke with Dr. Yoni Vortman, head of the Department of Life Sciences at Tel-Hai – University in Formation.
Where can the white-throated kingfisher be found?
“This species is common throughout Israel’s non-desert regions. In recent years, with the spread of agriculture, its range has expanded into desert areas as well. Globally, it is an ‘Oriental’ species, found across South Asia, from southern China through India to Israel, and as far west as southern Turkey and the Nile Valley.”
What makes it different from other kingfishers?
“It’s a predator, but a very generalist one,” Vortman explains. “Unlike other kingfishers that specialize in catching fish or aquatic prey, white-throated kingfishers have a much broader diet. In fact, most of what they eat is not fish at all. Their menu includes insects, especially beetles, as well as reptiles, mammals, birds, amphibians, crustaceans, and some fish. This ability to hunt such varied prey is one of the most fascinating aspects of their behavior.”
What does that mean for their ecological role?
“As generalist predators, they can specialize in whatever prey is most abundant in their surroundings,” Vortman says. “For example, in the Hula Valley, they are often seen perched with a marsh frog in their beak, working to break down their large meal. Generalist predators are often keystone species, meaning they have a significant impact on their ecosystems.”
What are the biggest threats to the white-throated kingfisher?
“Because it’s a generalist, this species is actually thriving in many human-altered environments,” Vortman notes. “It’s an example of a species that benefits from human activity rather than suffers from it. In Israel, its range has expanded with the growth of agriculture and gardening. You can find it in cities and near desert farmlands. It’s not uncommon to sit in a café and hear its loud call outside the window.”
Thanks to its adaptability, climate change is not expected to have a major impact on its survival. “The avian flu outbreak in the valley about four years ago did affect them, so they are not immune to everything,” Vortman adds. “But they are highly resilient.”
What is behind this colorful appearance?
Although its name emphasizes its white chest, the white-throated kingfisher is one of Israel’s most striking birds, with turquoise-blue and chestnut-brown plumage. “Their coloration plays a role in courtship,” Vortman says. “Males tend to have slightly brighter blues and deeper browns than females.”
In addition to their vivid colors, their calls are powerful and unmistakable. “In a study I conducted with Dana Klein, who was a master’s student in my lab, and Prof. Yizhar Lavner, we found that both males and females can produce complex and unique sounds. However, males sing at a faster rate, and the faster a male’s courtship song, the more successful he is at attracting females with larger clutches,” Vortman says.
Their beak, it turns out, serves more than one purpose. “They dig their nests in the ground using only their beaks,” he explains. “The tunnel can reach a meter deep and ends in a chamber roughly the size of a soccer ball.”
What have researchers discovered recently?
“Interestingly, there are notable differences between Israeli populations and those in other parts of the world,” Vortman says. “In a follow-up study led by my former master’s student Rimon Levin, we compared Israeli birds with populations in Singapore and India and found significant differences in breeding behavior. It appears that microevolutionary processes are taking place, small genetic changes that over time can lead to the formation of new species.”
Despite their abundance, Vortman says, the species remains understudied. “There’s still so much we don’t know. Every new study reveals something unexpected.”
Why study the white-throated kingfisher?
“It began with a field course I taught at Tel-Hai. While preparing for trips to the Hula Valley, I searched for research on the species’ ecology. It is one of the most visible birds in the area, colorful, noisy, and present year-round, yet there was very little academic information available. Since I have always been fascinated by the evolution of color and song, I decided to focus my research on it.”
The research, supported by The Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) and the Hula Research Center, is a collaboration between KKL and Tel-Hai. “Most of the work takes place in the field,” Vortman explains, “followed by laboratory analysis of bird recordings and genetic material. The fieldwork was done by my graduate students, Dana Klein and Rimon Levin. It was tough work. They had to wake up before dawn, reach the nesting sites before sunrise, and finish by midday. Then came the computer analysis of vocalizations in Prof. Yzhar Lavner’s lab. Nothing about it was easy, but there were many rewarding moments. I was fortunate to have such dedicated students.”