All birds in the kingfisher family of the order Phocaenidae can be collectively referred to as "kingfishers", and most of them have colorful plumage.


Common species of kingfishers


1. Silver Kingfisher


The silver kingfisher is a relatively small species, with a body length of 14cm and two colors of black and white feathers, and is only found on some islands in the south-central Philippines.


2. Common Kingfisher


The common kingfisher has a body length of 16-17cm, a wingspan of 24-26cm, a weight of 40-45g, and a life span of 15 years. It is similar in appearance to the spotted kingfisher, but smaller in size, and is found in North Africa, Eurasia, Japan, India, the Malay Peninsula, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.


3. Blue Kingfisher


The blue kingfisher has a body length of 17 to 19 cm, a wingspan of 25 to 29 cm, and a weight of 40 g. The body feathers are brilliant and shiny, the head and back feathers are blue and shiny, the chest and abdomen are a beautiful bright orange or reddish brown, the wings are laminated with some black, the back neck and throat have white spots, the tip of the lower tail is mottled grayish black, and the legs and feet are bright red.


4. White-bellied Kingfisher


The white-bellied kingfisher is 14cm long, weighing 14.5g for the female and 14.7g for the male. The body plumage is brilliant and shiny, blue, and roughly comparable in size and appearance to the crowned kingfisher, although the belly is white and the feathers on the head do not set up as a crown.


Kingfisher's habitat


Kingfishers like to inhabit small rivers, streams, lakes, and irrigation canals where there are thickets or sparse forests, and clear and slow-flowing water.


It usually perches alone on branches or rocks near the water's edge, waiting for an opportunity to hunt, feeding mainly on small fish, but also eating crustaceans and a variety of aquatic insects and their larvae, as well as pecking at small frogs and a few aquatic plants.


The kingfisher can maintain excellent eyesight after it enters the water because its eyes can quickly adjust the contrast in perspective caused by the light in the water, so the kingfisher's fishing skills are very strong.


Members of the kingfisher family all have a characteristic that they are very easily stressed and will be highly stressed and act wildly when touched by people, which often ends in a chaotic flight and crashing to death,


Therefore, the precious kingfisher is a wild animal that cannot be farmed. When viewing kingfishers, it is best to keep a distance of about 10 meters.