A lone man locked his sedan, looking out to the sea of pines ahead. His name was Kevin, or as he liked to call himself confidently, Kevin A. Spencer, Ornithologist in training. The preparation for this field of science had taken him to many places, and given many sets of challenges, and the young bird lover took them on with enthusiasm. What brought him to this rarely used trail in Oregon was the apparent abundance of belted kingfishers, the bird he had chosen to study for a report. It had seemed like a simple enough project, and he carried all the essentials in a hefty pack, including a DSLR camera, a strange recording device for bird calls, a pair of old binoculars, as well as his phone and a few basic snacks. None of which would truly prepare him for what the day would bring. As the sun rose over the light blue sky, he set off, eager to explore the area. The various pines and redwoods shrouded the trail, only bits and pieces of the beautiful sky showing. The forest was alive with a chorus of birdsong, which Kevin identified as 5 different species without any hesitation. He marched on, his true destination very close by. Soon enough the trail met with a rather large river, not a single tree blocking the view. As far as the man knew, he was alone. He set up his camera, sticking his bag on the ground and looking out. It seemed like prime territory to watch the birds hunt for fish, so he relaxed for a moment, keeping an eye on the river. Time went on and he didn't notice a kingfisher, but one did notice him.
"Boy, seems like I won't be studying a kingfisher at this rate." Kevin grumbled , idly scratching his chin. "This place is a disappointment, may as well try my luck studying a sparrow." he continued.

All of the sudden, A monstrous shadow loomed over the Kevin, a gust of wind pushing the man down. However, he never hit the ground with his face as he had anticipated. Instead, something tugged at the back of his shirt, suddenly lifting him into the air. Kevin could do nothing but freak out as he was suddenly flying over the river.

Kevin managed to turn his head back, seeing a massive dark blue wing flapping, almost fainting as he realized the wing must be at least 10 feet long. The only conclusion he could come to was that a giant bird had snatched him, and that probably meant only one thing. However, Kevin knew no such bird of this size could exist, and that this must be a dream. It was definitely not.

Eventually, after gliding over the river for what seemed like hours, the man, shaking with fear, noticed a large fallen tree jutting out of the blanket of live pines and over the water. It was at this time the massive avian landed, Kevin looking down to see large feet planted onto the bark, and he realized just how large his captor was, easily dwarfing a man. The ornithologist was hanging by his shirt, but he stayed safely suspended by the creature's massive bill, which suddenly deposited him into the gigantic perch. Kevin looked up to see the most striking sight he could even imagine. Standing at easily 25 or 30 feet, monstrous wings folded in, staring down at him with large eyes, a massive bill and a beautiful feathery crest was a giant belted kingfisher, the very bird Kevin had been looking for. The man crumpled to the ground, nearly falling off the perch entirely. The kingfisher leaned down to inspect the hiker, a small smile forming in the corners of his beak.

"Aww, no need to fret, my friend. I have to admit, you look quite scared." The kingfisher said, gently holding the human with one foot, to keep his potential prey from falling off.

"N-no... this can't be r-real... d-did you just talk too?" Kevin said, shaking under the weight of the kingfisher's talons, getting a good look at the rest of the bird.

"Well, I figure you know where this is going, so we should get it done right?" the kingfisher replied cheerfully, beak descending quickly to snag kevin. Once the human was hanging from his beak again, the monstrous kingfisher gave Kevin some time to respond.

"A-are you... just get it over ww-with please. I c-can't believe this... h-how!" Kevin blurted out, now trying to free himself from the kingfisher's strong grip.

"In time, but for now, you'll get to study the hunting habits of a majestic kingfisher like myself, from the view of it's prey, of course!" the kingfisher exclaimed giving the human a quick disorienting toss in the air before opening his massive bill to claim the snack. A few strings of the fish-eater's saliva bridged the upper mandible and tongue, but the view was quick for Kevin, as he was soon tossed inside. The kingfisher closed his beak a bit, pressing the human against his tongue, bathing him in warm breath that smelled faintly of fish. The bird's tongue playfully licked at the human, who's hand poked out of the kingfisher's bill, trying to climb out. The predator smiled, the human's salty taste never getting old. The kingfisher perched more comfortably and tucked his wings closer to his body to savor the hiker, beautiful feathery crest raised, indicating happiness.

Muffled cries came from the waterbird's beak, and he responded softly the best he could with his beak full. "Oh, poor thing, poor... tasty thing." the kingfisher said, closing his beak a bit more, the human's hand being forced back inside the bird's humid maw.

All it took was a quick toss, and gravity sent the human down the kingfisher's throat, a feathery bulge disappearing around the blue band near the base of the bird's neck. He remained on his perch, the smile remaining.

For Kevin, this seemed to be the end. The last bit of sunlight and the beautiful view from the kingfisher's perch disappeared, and the human was swiftly and gently carried down the bird's throat. Kevin couldn't help but take note of everything, despite the end most likely being near. The thick, lubricant saliva that would send even oversized prey down the kingfisher's gullet with ease. How it got progressively warmer as the prey was carried down. The kingfisher's quick heartbeat getting steadily louder, and the tendency for them to use gravity as an asset to send their prey down. Disbelief came over Kevin, as he realized the gravity of this. Not only the fact that a massive kingfisher existed, but the fact that he was going to die, somehow, soon. To become nutrition for the oversized kingfisher probably, to take place of fish. And on top of that, it talked. All of this happened in the span of a few seconds, and as it dawned on Kevin, he suddenly slid into a new chamber, making a small bulge in the beautiful kingfisher's neck. The walls comfortably accommodated him, the walls being slimy, coated in more of the kingfisher's saliva. Basic knowledge told him this was the giant waterbird's crop. Kevin continued to make observations, the kingfisher humming softly to himself. This had the effect of lulling the hiker to sleep, crop's radiating warm embrace keeping the human asleep.

It seemed like hours later, but Kevin... woke up? He was in the same space, the observations and events beforehand still fresh on his mind. He couldn't be alive. This must be some lie, some joke. It seemed outlandish thinking that he had indeed fallen prey to a giant belted kingfisher, as if he were a large rush. Some happy humming could be heard, and suddenly Kevin was being pulled, up? The kingfisher's greedy throat jerked the human upwords, light shining through an open beak, gravity sending Kevin sliding out and onto an outstretched wing, acting as a soft surface to break his fall. The speechless hiker was looking up at the kingfisher once more, and the bird smiled back.

"Now, how'd you like your experience as prey, my friend?" the kingfisher asked casually, as if Kevin had been a willing participant. His crest shone beautifully in the sun, his wing quite soft for the poor human.

"P-please... w-why w-why am I not d-dead?" a shocked Kevin asked in return, soaked in the kingfisher's warm, thick saliva.

"Aww, because you have a paper to write if I'm not mistaken, little friend! " the kingfisher said happily, folding his wing in a bit and tucking Kevin under to dry him off.

Kevin was speechless.

"I hope I made a good subject, as you made an enjoyable snack. Not every day you get an exclusive look at a giant kingfisher, now is it. " the kingfisher said casually.

"S-so... b-but" Kevin stuttered, noticing it's mid-afternoon.

"I'll take you back, I hope you do well, and please come back... friend." the kingfisher said reassuringly , grabbing the mostly dry human by the collar again, taking to the air in the direction they had come from. Kevin was treated to outstanding views, processing the shock of it all. And the kingfisher had let him live. He couldn't understand it. He was almost fascinated.

Soon enough, the kingfisher spotted the area he had ambushed the hiker, landing gracefully and gently placing the human down equally gracefully. Kevin couldn't speak, but listened to the kingfisher.

"I hope I didn't scare ya too much, you tasty thing." the kingfisher said, a smirk showing . "My name is Steele... if you ever decide to return... " he continued, head drooping a bit.

Kevin nodded, and Steele left just like that, the oversized kingfisher disappearing from view. Kevin, who was still shaken up. He nervously grabbed his things which were still in the same spot and dashed off to his car, driving off without a word.

Not long later, Steele sighed, sitting at his favorite perch once more. He could only imagine this human would never return, just like the rest.

- The end -
Hope y'all like it, both the art and story. I am truly surprised by the lack of kingfisher vore, given their looks, their swallowing capabilities, and interesting hunting tactics. Steele will be used later on as a character, so expect more giant kingfisher goodness in the near future.
And yes, as you can imagine, Kevin got praise for his incredibly detailed paper. Lucky Kevin.