Common kingfisher
species of bird
The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher. Like most kingfishers, it needs a perch to do its fishing. Usual is to see it on a tree branch overlooking a river.
| Common kingfisher | |
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| A kingfisher capturing a tadpole | |
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| Species: | A. atthis
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| Binomial name | |
| Alcedo atthis | |
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Breeding range
Resident all year-round Non-breeding range | |
There are seven subspecies in its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident over much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter.
This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish caught by diving, and has special visual adaptions to see its prey underwater. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.
Sources
change- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Alcedo atthis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
