Artwork by John Sill
Kingfishers Lokta Card
$5.00 – $8.00
- Our images are set in a frame on this beautiful, handmade paper from the Nepalese Lokta shrub.
- This tree-free paper is both environmentally friendly and sustainably harvested.
- Each card comes with an envelope and is packaged individually in 100% biodegradable cellophane sleeve.
- Cards are blank on the inside for your message.
- Back of card has educational story, shown below in description.
Back of Card DESCRIPTION
Ranging over most of the U.S. and Canada as far north as Alaska, the belted kingfisher lives wherever there is water; seacoasts, brooks, creeks, lakes, ponds or mountain streams. Kingfishers are chunky, compact birds with a shaggy crest and long pointed bills. They are one of the few birds where the female is more colorful than the male; she has rufous flanks and a band of chestnut across her belly.
The kingfisher utters a loud, penetrating rattle as it follows the course of a waterway. Flying well below treetops with a peculiar uneven wingbeat, it patrols a stream or lakeshore, stopping at favorite perches from which it watches for prey. Small fish form the majority of its diet, but kingfishers also feed on frogs, crayfish and insects.
Kingfishers nest in sand or gravels banks. Both members of a mated pair excavate a horizontal tunnel up to 7 feet long, digging with their feet and bills. This may take up to 3 weeks depending on soil conditions. Nests may be some distance from water; the presence of suitable banks is the limiting factor.
Kingfishers have many legends and superstitions surrounding them. They are generally considered symbols of peace and prosperity.
artwork by John Sill © 2003
text by Steve Sierigk
