Kingfishers, as their name suggests, feed on fish.
Residing near water bodies or forest edges, these birds are often seen swooping down for their catch at reservoirs or parks.
However, they also feed on insects and small amphibians as part of their diet.
Kingfisher preys on 3 cockroaches in Bedok
One lucky resident living in Bedok North, Dennis Koh, caught sight of a collared kingfisher in his neighbourhood.
The collared kingfisher was hanging out in the area between Blk 92 and Blk 93, and Koh was alerted to its calls.
The kingfisher perched at the top of an HDB block before diving down from 14 floors to the lamp post before aiming for its prey on the ground, Koh described in a Facebook post on Sep. 28.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Koh.
Koh said the bird dove to the ground three times and caught three cockroaches in total.
Koh was also impressed by how accurately the little critter aims for its prey each time.
He took some rare shots of the kingfisher perching on the lamp post with its protein-rich snack between its bill:
Photo courtesy of Dennis Koh.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Koh.
Here's the kingfisher with its third catch while resting on a tree branch:
Photo courtesy of Dennis Koh.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Koh.
The estate is located near the Bedok reservoir and a park connector along the Bedok canal so it is not surprising to find these birds in the area.
Speaking to Mothership, Koh shared that he has spotted a kingfisher in his estate before but it is his first time seeing one preying on cockroaches.
Some netizens expressed concerns about how pesticides used in the estate might affect the bird given its feeding habit.
Edited screenshot via Google Maps.
Collared kingfisher: a common resident in Singapore with strong adaptability
The Collared Kingfisher is a common resident in Singapore.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Koh.
It has a conservation status of "Least Concern", according to the Singapore Birds Project.
This species is also the 10th most recorded bird species in Singapore, according to data collected by the citizen scientists over the past five years of Garden Bird Watch.
The Collared Kingfisher has a distinct and gorgeous blue and white plumage. It also has a black bill.
While this species is traditionally a coastal species, it has now been spotted by birders at over 60 survey sites.
This proves that the species has adapted to our urban environment.
It is most commonly spotted in April during its breeding season in coastal areas such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and East Coast Park.
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Top photos courtesy of Dennis Koh.