Kingfishers · Rollers and kingfishers
Common Kingfisher
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Alcedo atthis
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Slightly larger than a sparrow
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Blue-green above, rusty orange below
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Large head, long straight bill, short tail
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Fast, low flight over water; blue flash along the back
About the species
The upperparts are blue-green, with pale speckles across the crown and wings, while the underside is rusty orange. A white throat patch and pale stripe beside the neck break up the color, and its long, straight bill points down as it watches the water. On a low, fast flight, the back can flash bright blue.
It waits on a branch, post or riverbank, bobbing its head to judge the distance before plunging for prey. Its flight call is a short, sharp "chee," often repeated two or three times. After catching a fish, it returns to a perch, beats the fish against it, then swallows it head-first.
Look for it beside clear, slow-flowing streams, rivers and lakes, where bank-side shrubs and overhanging branches give it a place to wait. Small fish make up most of its food, though it also takes aquatic insects and, in winter, freshwater shrimp. It stays year-round where winters are mild, but moves away from waters that freeze.
Where to find
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Beside a clean, slow city stream or river, watch branches over shallow water: a Common Kingfisher scans for fish, then plunges steeply into the water.
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In winter, at estuaries, harbours or rocky seashores, watch for a fast, low pass over the water as it hunts.
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During the breeding season, check low vertical riverbanks — sometimes quarry faces or other cuttings — for a burrow entrance; the nest chamber lies at the end of the tunnel.