Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Where is it found?
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Rivers, streams, wetlands and lakes
Diet and foraging method
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Dive into water from their perch to catch prey, mainly fish.
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Key adaptations
Kingfishers have a long beak with a pointed end, making it streamlined when it dives into the water to catch fish.
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
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Socially monogamous breeding pair
Did you know that...?
Kingfishers will hold fish by the tail and whack them against a tree to kill them before swallowing them whole.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Kingfisher eating a tadpole" by Pierre Dalous - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kingfisher_eating_a_tadpole.jpg#/media/File:Kingfisher_eating_a_tadpole.jpg
"Alcedo atthis MHNT ZOO 2010 11 160 Arcy-sur-Cure" by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alcedo_atthis_MHNT_ZOO_2010_11_160_Arcy-sur-Cure.jpg#/media/File:Alcedo_atthis_MHNT_ZOO_2010_11_160_Arcy-sur-Cure.jpg
"Aufgeregt und angespannter Eisvogel" by Joefrei - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aufgeregt_und_angespannter_Eisvogel.jpg#/media/File:Aufgeregt_und_angespannter_Eisvogel.jpg
"AlcedoAtthisGould" by John Gould - Birds of Asia, Vol. 1 pl. 53 (as Alcedo bengalensis,Gmel., Indian Kingfisher). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlcedoAtthisGould.jpg#/media/File:AlcedoAtthisGould.jpg
"Kingfisher eating a tadpole" by Pierre Dalous - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kingfisher_eating_a_tadpole.jpg#/media/File:Kingfisher_eating_a_tadpole.jpg
"Alcedo atthis MHNT ZOO 2010 11 160 Arcy-sur-Cure" by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alcedo_atthis_MHNT_ZOO_2010_11_160_Arcy-sur-Cure.jpg#/media/File:Alcedo_atthis_MHNT_ZOO_2010_11_160_Arcy-sur-Cure.jpg
"Aufgeregt und angespannter Eisvogel" by Joefrei - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aufgeregt_und_angespannter_Eisvogel.jpg#/media/File:Aufgeregt_und_angespannter_Eisvogel.jpg
"AlcedoAtthisGould" by John Gould - Birds of Asia, Vol. 1 pl. 53 (as Alcedo bengalensis,Gmel., Indian Kingfisher). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlcedoAtthisGould.jpg#/media/File:AlcedoAtthisGould.jpg
