Kingfisher
Kingfishers are birds of the three families Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water kingfishers).
Characteristics
There are about 90 species of kingfisher. All are small unmistakable bright blue and orange birds, they have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Habitat
Kingfishers live in both woodland and wetland habitats. Kingfishers that live near water hunt small fish by diving. They also eat crayfish, frogs, and insects. Wood kingfishers eat reptiles.
Kingfishers of all three families beat their prey to death, either by whipping it against a tree or by dropping it on a stone.
They are able to see well both in air and under water. To do this, their eyes have evolved an egg-shaped lens able to focus in the two different environments.
Behaviour
They fly rapidly, low over water, and hunt fish from riverside perches, occasionally hovering above the water’s surface. They are vulnerable to hard winters and habitat degradation through pollution.
They are widespread, especially in central and southern England, becoming less common further north but they are currently increasing in their range in Scotland. Kingfishers are found by still or slow flowing water such as lakes, canals and rivers in lowland areas.
In winter, some individuals move to estuaries and the coast. Occasionally they may visit garden ponds if of a suitable size.
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