Male Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) Waiting For A Fish
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. There are roughly 90 species of kingfisher. All have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. Females have an orange colouring to the underside of the bill. The plumage of most kingfishers is bright, with green and blue being the most common colours. The brightness of the colours is neither the product of iridescence (except in the American kingfishers) or pigments, but is instead caused by the structure of the feathers, which causes scattering of blue light (the Tyndall effect). 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. They are territorial, some species defending their territories vigorously and are generally monogamous, although cooperative breeding has been observed in some species. They are vulnerable to hard winters and habitat degradation through pollution or unsympathetic management of watercourses and are amber listed because of their unfavourable conservation status in Europe.
Size: 3250px × 2600px
Location: Bramhall, Cheshire
Photo credit: © John Porter LRPS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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