Features& Description
The European Kingfisher, Latin for “Alcedo atthis”, is a stocky little bird with a very short tail and legs.
With a wingspan of 26 cm and weighing just 40 g, this handsome bird has light blue plumage, sometimes sparkling cobalt blue, an orange belly and a white throat.
It has a white nape and orange cheeks.
Its beak measures up to 4 cm, almost a quarter of the bird’s length!
Habitat(Biotope)
The European Kingfisher prefers streams, ponds and pools where the water is clean and clear enough for it to hunt.
It can sometimes be seen on the pontoons to the west of the lake, or on the edge of a mudflat on a pebble.
Behavior& habits
The European Kingfisher is a hardy bird, but flees in winter when there’s ice or snow. Immobile, it looks out for small fish and amphibians (tadpoles) and captures them by diving vertically with an arrow.
It sometimes flies on the spot before making its dive. It’s a shy, restless bird, but easily observable if you know its roosting habits.
It often sits on a branch or reed steep enough to overhang the shallow water to watch and spot its food.
When it has finished digesting, it shakes its head to eject a pellet containing fish scales and bones.
Reproductionand immature
The European Kingfisher builds a nest on the banks of a river, at the end of a gallery almost a metre long.
For several days, the male then brings prey to the female in the form of offerings, usually fish, whose head he turns first so that she can swallow it without difficulty.
The female lays 6 or 7 eggs. The young will be fed for over 4 weeks until they are “driven” from the nest by hunger, the father taking sole charge of feeding them, showing them the fishing technique but giving them nothing more to eat.
Cryor Voice
The European Kingfisher is not easy to spot visually when stationary, but its call gives away its presence.
Often in flight, its call is a high-pitched, short, piercing “ziiii” whistle, sometimes with an additional “ziii-ti” finale, repeated in series when excited.
Its song is rarely heard, characterized by simple series of calls in a choppy, irregular rhythm.
Martin Pecheur2
Martin Pecheur
The European Kingfisher
