On a broken reed in Lake Awassa, we encountered this Malachite kingfisher of the subspecies Corythornis cristata stuartkeithi. This subspecies is one of the smallest ones, only 5.1 in. (12 cm) long and found only in eastern Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. At first glance, especially from someone who is not so used to bird classification, it may remind us of the European Common kingfisher. But this picture clearly shows the differences. It is considerably smaller (the Common kingfisher measures 17 cm), the crown of the blue head is often raised (which gives it the name 'cristatus' in Latin), and the beak is bright red. "Our" kingfisher usually has the feathers on its head in order, the bill is grayish black and it has a blue, malar stripe from the chin downwards. The bright red feet, the white patches in the head, the blue back and the blue head and the orange underside, are otherwise common to both species (although the nuances are different). Like its cousin in the Nordic countries, the Malachite kingfisher is happy to perch in a special place, wait for his prey, dive after it, and then return to the favorite place. The food consists of small fish, aquatic insects and crustaceans.