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Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

Description:

The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) also known as Eurasian Kingfisher or River Kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in 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 enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank.

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4 Comments

yeah i didnt notice it until now

This one is the female, the red on the base is just visible in front of the white chin.

thanks. out of the 7 kingfishers found here, the oriental dwarf kingfisher is the most colorful. i have seen it, but i'm yet to photograph it.

Maria dB
Maria dB 11 years ago

Nice one; wish we had such colorful kingfishers here!

Hambantota, Sri Lanka

Spotted on Jan 6, 2013
Submitted on Jan 6, 2013

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