Incredible footage of a Kingfisher dive captured in slow motion.
Kingfishers compensate for the reflection and refraction of water to pinpoint the depth and position of prey underwater.
Video credit: RTÉ
Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CsyenHROSE
@wonderofscience some cool hydrodynamics happening there, with the retained air in the feathers and the cavitation around the wings and body. It manages to avoid getting jabbed into the pond bottom, and effect a quick exit
Interesting stuff we never see. Thx for sharing!
@ottaross @wonderofscience Neat to see they spread wings just before impact …
@jgordon @wonderofscience yes! Seems to be winding up for a quick exit once the fish is grabbed.
@wonderofscience @ScienceDesk The documentary this is from, "The Secret Life of the Shannon", is wonderful, if you ever get a chance to see it
@wonderofscience That poor singled out fish.
“Why is it always me?”
Unglaubliche Zeitlupeaufnahme eines #Eisvogels
@wonderofscience amazing
Magnificent! Perfect projectile! (Almost alliteration? )
surprise NIN reference! at the end of the song "hurt" by nine inch nails, on halo 12 live concert of the downward spiral, there is another angle of this shot from below the fish so you see the bird come in from above right at the climax of the end of the song. it was memorable.
@wonderofscience I would not have guessed he opens his beak before going into the water
@wonderofscience The vast majority of these "amazing" kingfisher shots are set up using tanks and purposely disabled fish. It can be very dangerous for the kingfisher (imagine hitting an invisible glass wall at that speed) and is far from sporting for the fish.
@wonderofscience That happens so quickly, an entire school of little fish are essentially motionless while an animal 100 times their size snatches one of them from the water. "HEY! What was that?" "I dunno. waitaminite, where's Stuart?"
@wonderofscience wonderful video
Did one like the water especially much and that's why we have penguins now? These are the haunting questions.