Common Kingfisher

A dazzlingly colored bird of clean rivers, canals, and lakes. With its turquoise-blue back and orange underparts, it is often called a 'living jewel'. It needs stable, vertical dirt banks for nesting. It excavates a long tunnel into the bank to raise its young. Despite the bright colors, Kingfishers are hard to spot while it sits motionless waiting for fish.

The Kingfisher is a solitary and territorial predator. It hunts by diving headfirst into the water from a perch. A transparent third eyelid protects its eyes underwater. After catching a fish, it returns to its branch and beats the fish against the wood to stun it. Its flight is fast and direct, usually just inches above the water.