Discover Shenzhen | The white-throated kingfisher 白胸翡翠

A white-throated kingfisher is seen perching on a rock at the Shenzhen Bay in Nanshan District on Jan. 3. Photos by Isaac Cohen

Everything about the white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), also commonly known as the white-breasted kingfisher, is beautiful. Although light brown is the dominant color, their fantastic coloration pattern makes the species one of the most astonishing birds you can see in Shenzhen.

白胸翡翠是一种非常美丽的翠鸟。虽然不像普通翠鸟，它们身上的羽毛以棕色为主，但仍然是深圳最漂亮的鸟类之一。

The entire head and part of its body are covered by light brown feathers, except for the breast that is covered by beautiful white feathers, hence the name. Their large broad beak is reddish. Their wings are covered by a combination of brown, blue, white and black feathers in a beautiful linear pattern; the dominant color is light blue, with a distinctive white patch at the most distal part of the wing and also black tips. Their back and tail are also covered by strikingly bright blue feathers and their legs are short and red.

白胸翡翠的头颈部为棕红色，胸、喉部为白色，因此得名；喙粗长，呈珊瑚色；翅膀上，棕、蓝、黑、白四色羽毛形成美丽色带，其中蓝色羽毛最多；双翼近末端缀有白斑，尖端沾少许黑色；背部及尾部覆羽皆为亮蓝色，红色的脚短粗。

A white-throated kingfisher is seen on a rock in Shenzhen Bay in Nanshan District on Nov. 10.

White-throated kingfishers are relatively large animals, measuring up to 28 centimeters, with an approximately 44-cm wingspan. Like other kingfishers, their beak is big, heavy and broad, with a pointy end that allows them to get their prey by diving straight to them. Their diet includes crustaceans, fish, reptiles, amphibians and even insects. It is very common to see them in the Shenzhen Bay area feeding on crabs.

白胸翡翠体型较大，身长可达28厘米，翼展约44厘米。作为翠鸟家族的一员，它们的喙粗壮有力，尖端似矛，能够在俯冲时直接攫取猎物。它们以甲壳类、鱼类、爬行类、两栖类及昆虫为食。在深圳湾，我们可以经常看到它们抓螃蟹吃。

A white-throated kingfisher is seen perching on a tree branch in Dasha River Park in Nanshan District on Aug. 14, 2020.

Their nests are tunnels made in the ground where they lay up to six eggs. Little chicks will emerge from the eggs after about three weeks, ready for their first flight after another three weeks. Their population is stable, as they seldom have predators due to their rapid flight. However, protecting their habitats is a must, so we can keep enjoying their presence in our city for many years to come.

白胸翡翠掘地筑巢，每窝产6只卵，孵化期约三周，再过三周，雏鸟就能够出巢学飞了。它们的飞行能力很强，因此鲜有天敌，数量较为稳定。但我们仍要保护它们的栖息地，才能让它们继续在深圳与我们作伴。

About the writer：

关于作者：

Isaac Cohen, a biologist from Colombia, has been recording through his camera lens the beautiful and colorful wildlife in Shenzhen since arriving in town in the summer of 2017.

Isaac Cohen是一位来自哥伦比亚的生物老师，于2017年来到深圳。从那时起，他就开始用手中的相机记录深圳丰富多彩的生物世界。

Awed by the lush natural environment and biodiversity of his newfound home, Cohen started to share his photos on social media early last year, and began to contribute to Shenzhen Daily from July 30 this year. Here, we’d like to share these photos with our readers. The series also includes short introductions to the creatures presented.

深圳环境优美，物种丰富，深深吸引着初来乍到的Cohen。因此，他于去年年初在社交媒体上开设了账号, 分享他的生态摄影作品，并于今年7月开始给深圳英文报专栏供稿。在此，我们想与读者们分享这些摄影作品，并请Cohen对他拍摄的生物进行简短的介绍。

We hope these beautiful photos will cheer up your day, inspire your interest in our natural surroundings, and encourage you to take steps — no matter how small they are — to preserve our city’s environment.

我们希望这些精美的照片能鼓舞你，让你对身边的自然心怀好奇，并为保护深圳的环境贡献出自己的一份力量。

内容来源：ShenzhenDaily

编辑：牛耘

校审：肖刚 黄淳

如需转载，请注明以上内容