Food.—In its wild state its food is small fish, leeches, and, indeed, all aquatic worms and insects. In the house it must be given as much as possible the same, accustoming it by degrees to eat meat. It is very rarely that those taken when old can be preserved. I have seen one, however, which ate even dead fish. The meat and small fish for its food must be put into a bowl of fresh water, large enough, or so firmly fixed, that it may not be easily overturned. When taking its food it does not hop to the bottom of the cage, but stretches itself downwards till it can reach the water with its beak, at least if it be not a young one reared in the house.—It will not eat while being looked at.
Mr. Paxton’s method of management.—“Having become possessed,” says Mr. Paxton, “of some young kingfishers last summer, we were very anxious to rear them; this we have accomplished, and, to the best of our information, it is the first time kingfishers were ever reared by hand. To accomplish this object we had a wire cage constructed about ten feet long, and four broad; the back part of the cage was made to imitate, as nearly as possible, the banks of a river;—through this cage a small stream of water was conducted, in which the birds received their food, &c. When the young birds were first taken from the nest, minnows and bullheads were their principal food; they have since been fed on almost every species of fresh-water fish, although they evince a marked preference for trout.
“Immediately on a quantity of small fish being put into the stream of water, they commence killing them, regardless of who may be near; and so surely do they strike, that, although we have repeatedly observed them, we never yet saw them miss their prey. As soon as they have caught a fish they kill it, by knocking its head against anything that may be near them. The quantity of fish consumed by each bird is almost incredible—we should think on the average not less than six ounces a day each; they could not exist twenty-four hours without food, so they quickly digest it. There can be no doubt that the sole reason of the kingfisher migrating to the sea-side on the approach of severe weather, arises from the voracity of its appetite.
“They are quite tame and domesticated, frequently sitting on the head or shoulder of the person who is in the habit of cleaning out their little dwelling. They are also very cleanly. We have observed them dive into the water as many as forty times incessantly, for the purpose of washing—this is generally done in the evening.
“Although they appear satisfied with their confinement, they are far from being friendly with each other; they fight with their wings, something after the manner of the swan; this is rather surprising, as they are very dexterous with their bills when seizing their prey.
“We have tried to rear others in a common cage, feeding them partly on flesh, but never succeeded.”
Breeding.—A hole at the edge of the water is the place in which it builds its nest, which is formed on the outside of small roots, and lined with feathers. Its eggs in general are eight in number, and quite white. In the young ones, before the feathers grow, the stubs are so long and straight that they might be taken for so many little bristles. As soon as the young can see clearly, and before the feathers begin to sprout, is the time to take them from the nest; they must be fed first on ants’ eggs, meal worms, and other worms and afterwards accustomed by degrees to meat; they will be preserved in good health for a much longer time, if care be taken always to give them their food in fresh water, rather than let them pick it up from the ground.
Mode of taking.—When the place which one of these birds frequents most, and which is generally near an eddy in the water, is well known, a stake must be fixed to which the snare, called a springe, can be fastened; by this means the bird may be easily taken. Lime-twigs may also be put on a bush or stake near the water’s edge, provided it does not hang so much over the water as to risk the bird’s falling into it when fixed by the lime.
Attractive Qualities.—Its great attractions are its beauty, for it is not well proportioned, and all its motions are sudden.