Kingfishers · Rollers and kingfishers
Common Kingfisher
Copied!
Alcedo atthis
Copied!
Voice
Call
Noé Ferrari
Call
Noé Ferrari
Call
Amadeo A. Pombo Eirín
How to recognize it
-
Small, sparrow-sized, with a big head and very short tail
-
Bright blue-green upperparts, orange-rufous underparts
-
Long straight bill, obvious white throat patch
-
Fast, low flight over water, flashing electric blue on the back
About the species
The Common Kingfisher is a small river specialist with a vivid, almost glowing presence. Up close it looks more subdued than it does in motion, but the compact body, big head and short wings make its shape feel quick and unmistakable.
It keeps to itself and is easy to miss because it prefers quiet, sheltered spots above water. Most of the time it waits motionless on a perch, scans below, then drops in a sudden dive, and its call is a short, sharp, repeated whistle.
Look for it by clear streams, slow rivers and lakes with overgrown banks. It feeds mainly on small fish, with aquatic insects, crustaceans and tadpoles as occasional extras; in milder places it stays year-round, while populations from freezing rivers move away for winter.
Where to find
-
Along clean, quiet canals, ponds, and slow river edges — especially where branches overhang the water and there’s a handy perch, look for Common Kingfisher sitting still before a sudden plunge after small fish.
-
On steep riverbanks and earth cuttings near water — where a round tunnel entrance may be visible, its sharp calls and a quick blue flash over the channel give it away.
-
In winter, check unfrozen city quays, harbours, and calm inlets — on rocks, piers, or beside the ice edge, where it dives from a lookout for prey.
-
At reed-fringed banks with bushes leaning over calm water — on a low branch above the surface, often returning to the same spot after each dive.
Sources
- eBird — Alcedo atthis Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common kingfisher Encyclopedia article