# Common Kingfisher (*Alcedo atthis*) The Common Kingfisher is a bright and colorful bird that loves to catch fish. With its sparkling blue and orange feathers, it's a beautiful sight near rivers and lakes. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Near rivers, lakes, and ponds - **Also known as:** Eurasian Kingfisher, River Kingfisher ![Common Kingfisher](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424489/objects/4578.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Kingfisher is a small, stocky bird with an iridescent cobalt blue back and bright orange-rust underparts. It has a striking white throat patch and a long, dagger-like black bill. Its vivid plumage makes it instantly recognizable along waterways. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Coraciiformes - **Family:** Alcedinidae - **Genus:** Alcedo ## Interesting facts - Kingfishers swallow fish head-first to avoid painful fin-spikes! - Parents can raise up to three families of chicks in just one summer! - Some kingfishers eat up to 60% of their own body weight in fish daily! - Their dazzling blue feathers get their color from light, not blue pigment! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Vision:** Common Kingfisher has special eyes that can switch focus instantly, helping them see clearly in both air and water. - **Diving Dynamo:** Common Kingfisher can dive head-first into water at high speed to catch fish, thanks to its streamlined body. - **Precision Fisher:** Common Kingfisher has a long, pointed bill that helps it pierce and securely hold slippery fish underwater. - **Bankside Builder:** Common Kingfisher can dig long tunnels into riverbanks for nesting, keeping their eggs safe from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 16-17 cm - **Wingspan:** 24-26 cm - **Weight:** 0.025-0.04 kg - **Lifespan:** 7-8 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-7 - **Incubation:** 19-21 days - **Migration Distance:** 1000 km ## Diet & Feeding A speedy hunter that dives for small fish and aquatic insects in clear freshwater. - **Primary Foods:** minnows, sticklebacks, gudgeon, roach, aquatic insects - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Minnow (*Phoxinus phoxinus*) — It dives to catch these small fish from clear water. - **Hunts:** Three-spined Stickleback (*Gasterosteus aculeatus*) — A common tiny fish prey item. - **Eaten by:** [Grass Snake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grass-snake) (*Natrix natrix*) — May raid nests for eggs or chicks. - **Eaten by:** [Brown Rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-rat) (*Rattus norvegicus*) — Can find and eat eggs or young in nest tunnels. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch kingfishers from a distance and do not disturb them. They are wild animals and should be treated gently. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Kingfisher? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Kingfisher? 16-17 cm ### What is Common Kingfisher's wingspan? 24-26 cm ### How much does Common Kingfisher weigh? 0.025-0.04 kg ### How long does Common Kingfisher live? 7-8 years ### How fast can Common Kingfisher move? 45 km/h ### What does Common Kingfisher eat? A speedy hunter that dives for small fish and aquatic insects in clear freshwater. ### Where is Common Kingfisher usually found? Near rivers, lakes, and ponds ## Where to spot - [Zoo de la Palmyre](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-la-palmyre) — Nouvelle-Aquitaine, FR · Zoo - [Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabárceno](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parque-de-la-naturaleza-de-cab-rceno) — Spain, ES · Zoo - [Zoo am Meer](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-am-meer) — Bremen, DE · Zoo - [Naturpark Schönbuch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-schonbuch) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Park - [Uckermärkische Seen Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/uckermaerkische-seen-nature-park) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Biosphärenreservat Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/biospharenreservat-oberlausitzer-heide-und-teichlandschaft) — Sachsen, DE · Park [View all places to see Common Kingfisher](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-kingfisher) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Kingfisher: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-kingfisher)