Vishal writes: This is a male Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. I always refer to this bird as the Colour Bomb of the Western Ghats.
This bird becomes extremely active and vocal during the monsoons when the semi evergreen forests of the Ghats really turn into a dark maze as the cloud cover thickens and the undergrowth becomes dark, this bird turns out to be the most attractive spectacle during this breeding times.
Spotting this bird is a tough ask with it being the smallest kingfisher in Asia and dwells in the undergrowth. Challenge to photograph it occurs due to low light and constant rains and numerous mosquitoes pestering the photographer all the time.
This image was made with a Canon 5D MIV along with a Canon 500 f4 L IS II and a 1.4x TC, hand held at 1/60 shutter speed and a ISO of 6400. Its all about studying the favorite perches to preset the focus in order to make the picture when the opportunity arises.
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Great image, but what an amazing kingfisher.
I was lucky enough to see this bird in January this year in Goa thanks to an expert guide. As Vishal says it’s a tough bird to spot and photograph. My effort nowhere near as good as this and annoyingly has an out of focus twig across it!