King of the Fishers

tanjabrittonwriter 94 Comments

I am regularly reminded that I’m a mere baby birder. Case in point: Of the world’s 117 species of kingfishers, I have (so far) only seen 2. All kingfishers are members of the Alcedinidae family with 18 different genera. They are cosmopolitan in distribution, with most species occurring in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Luckily for me, they are also represented in North America and Europe. Like many other tropical birds, they are clad in multi-hued robes and are frequently spectacular in appearance.

Ranging from tiny, hummingbird-like to crow-sized, it is their fishing prowess that has led them to be called “king of the fishers,” but some among them also eat insects, crabs, small amphibians, reptiles, and even birds.

The two kingfisher species I’m about to introduce have compact, small to medium-sized bodies, large heads and large beaks, relatively short necks, and smallish wings. They tend to sit on an exposed perch over water and habitually hover midair to locate fish before diving into the water head first to catch their prey.

The Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) is North America’s most common kingfisher and is distributed across the entire continent. It measures about 13 inches (33 cm) from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail and emits a loud territorial rattle (follow this link to a recording on the Cornell website) and is often heard before it is seen. Unusually, the females are more colorful than the males, with Mrs. Kingfisher wearing red across her belly and along her sides/flanks, in addition to a blue breast band she shares with her male counterpart.

Belted Kingfisher, male/Gürtelfischer, männlich

Belted Kingfisher, female/Gürtelfischer, weiblich

Belted Kingfisher, immature female (the upper band still shows mixed colors)/Gürtelfischer, weiblich

Whenever I’m in Germany, I hope for encounters with the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). Nearly half the size of the Belted Kingfisher, the Common Kingfisher’s call is a short, quiet, and easy-to-miss whistle. Its beautiful red and blue colors, on the other hand, are more conspicuous but many sightings are fleeting, as it usually zips by at a swift speed. But I have been fortunate to come across the occasional bird willing to grant me a portrait. Both sexes are nearly identical, with females’ mandibles being partly or completely red, whereas the males’ beaks are completely black. After a review of my archives, I have to conclude that I have never taken a photo of a female.

Common Kingfisher, male/Eisvogel, männlich

Common Kingfisher, male/Eisvogel, männlich

Common Kingfisher, male/Eisvogel, männlich

Whereas the English common name focuses on the birds’ dietary preferences, the German common name for the Common Kingfisher is Eisvogel. The word’s etymology has been debated and it might signify either “ice bird” (from Eis) or “iron bird” (from an abbreviated form of Eisen). Both ice and iron can assume a bluish hue, like the bird’s plumage.

After viewing online images of this vibrantly attired and varied family of birds (which, incidentally, also includes Australia’s and New Guinea’s iconic kookaburras), I can only hope to see a few more species during my lifetime. 2 down, 115 to go! 😊

94 thoughts on “King of the Fishers”

  2. You have taken some fabulous images of kingfishers over the years. We love the birds, but Mrs P struggles to take photos of them as we rarely encounter them and they’re always on the move. Invariably we’re alerted by their shrill call, and see little more than brief flash of colour as they whizz up or down the river. Incidentally, the Common Kingfisher clearly has a very wide range – as well as here in the UK, we’ve also seen one in India.

    I’m amazed to learn there are 117 species of kingfisher worldwide. Like you, I have well over 100 still to find, though I am pleased to report that as well as the Common Kingfisher and Belted Kingfisher I also have a kookaburra on my life list!

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    • It took many years of blurred kingfisher photos before I managed to capture a few in focus. I tend to have better luck in winter, when the vegetation is less dense and the birds aren’t as occupied with raising their families.

      I was also surprised to learn about the number of species in the Alcedinidae family, including kookaburras. How exciting that you have seen one (or some) in the wild. I suspect the only way for me to meet one will be at a zoo.

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  4. Such a swift and beautiful bird, Tanja. I have seen several, but only ever as a streak of colour along a river, as I have walked. Your images as always are superb. Besides our familiar native European kingfisher, I had not realised the variety of the species.

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  8. Bildschön und du bist gesegnet, dass du schon zwei Vertreter dieser hübschen Vogelart fotografieren konntest.
    Manchmal hat frau das Glück und schnappt sich auch einen oder zwei.
    Einmal sogar ein kopulierendes Paar.
    Viel Glück beim birding auch weiterhin, liebe Tanja.

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  9. Liebe Tanja, genau diese 2 Schönen habe ich auch nur gesehen von der Menge an Kingfisherbirds. Der Eisvogel ist im Teufelsmoor zu sehen und ab und zu auch an meinem Teich. Der Belted Kingfisher saß in Florida täglich auf seinem Ansitzplatz am Black Point Drive, ein leichtes Opfer für Fotografen 😉
    Deien Bilder und Dein Bericht wie immer – wunderbar.
    LG
    Maren

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    • Picking up the pace and visiting Texas might net me three more species, so I think the only realistic option is choice B.

      The belt question is an excellent one and, interestingly, is not answered clearly on the Cornell website (or in my printed field guide, for that matter). As far as I can tell, Gürtel and belt seem to refer to the bluish throat band in the male, and the bluish throat and red belly band in the female. So the belt is not located where a human would wear one.

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  15. Das sind schöne Eisvogelfotofänge, liebe Tanja.
    Ich habe einmal in Wuppertal mitten in der Stadt von der Schwebebahn aus, die größtenteils über der Wupper schwebt, einen Eisvogel pfeilschnell von Ufer zu Ufer fliegen sehen. Dieses leuchtende Blauorange kann man einfach nicht übersehen!
    Daran kann man erkennen, daß Flüsse wieder heilen können. In meiner frühen Kindheit war die Wupper eine stinkende Chemiebrühe, und inzwischen ist die Wupper wieder rein und es gibt u.a. Reiher, Kormorane und Eisvögel.

    Sonnige Grüße von Ulrike 🙂

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    • Dankeschön, liebe Ulrike.

      Welch schönes Eisvogelerlebnis Du da beschreibst. Die Farbenpracht dieses Vogels läßt mich immer wieder staunen und einen von der Schwebebahn aus zu sehen, ist natürlich noch erinnerungswürdiger.

      Auch freut es mich zu hören, daß die Wupper wieder gesünder ist als in der Vergangenheit. Die Natur überrascht und beschenkt uns immer wieder, wenn wir ihr auch nur etwas entgegenkommen.

      Liebe Grüße zurück,

      Tanja

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  17. Very nice post, Tanja and beautiful photos of these striking birds. I’d never seen a kingfisher either until our trip to Costa Rica last November. I saw three different ones: Belted, Pygmy, Amazon. Strikingly beautiful, it’s thrill to see these birds. Thanks for sharing yours with us.

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      • You should go, you would love it! The wildlife (birds, in particular), the beauty of the land, the people, and the food–all just incredible. I’ll have to scroll through my photos, but I don’t think I got any of the kingfishers. They were usually flying away. 🙂

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  19. Great images, I love the metallic hues of the European one, and the Belted is so elegant. I always remember, “”Hope” is the thing with feathers -That perches in the soul”.

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  22. Your common kingfisher is beautiful. I used an image of that bird in the past, as the header photo for a post featuring a very old kingfisher-related Christmas carol. I never thought I’d know someone who actually had seen the birds in real life! The details of its feathers are so nice. The head and edge of the wing feathers look as though they’re jeweled.

    I do see belted kingfishers rather regularly. There’s a certain road near the Brazoria refuge where one has been perching on the wires for several years in exactly the same spot above a ditch. This year, I’ve seen three along that wire. Friends? Family? Who knows?

    I rarely see them while at work, but I certainly hear them. That rattling call is unmistakable; it always makes me smile.

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    • I also think that the plumes of the Common Kingfisher are uncommonly and strikingly beautiful. Often one glimpses only a metallic streak as the bird zooms by but when the bird is at rest, all the gorgeous details can be studied.

      Thank you for the link to your previous post about the Christmas carol, I left you a comment there.

      I also smile when I hear the Belted Kingfisher’s rattle because I can visualize the bird and what it might be doing.

      As I mentioned in another comment above, you might have the opportunity to encounter three more kingfisher species in Texas: the Green Kingfisher(Chloroceryle americana), the Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata), and the Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona).

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  23. That Common Kingfisher is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve never seen one in the wild here, although Australia does have some Kingfishers, with what I just read that the Kookaburra being the largest (which I have photographed reasonably well). I never realised the Kookaburra was a ‘Kingfisher’ per se.

    Birds in flight are really hard to photograph so don’t worry about your skills in catching one in flight. I catch them in fair focus only by luck.

    Even the your female Belted Kingfisher is attractive.

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  25. I’m saddened when ornithologists add ‘common’ to a species name. It makes me think about adding ‘common’ to their name on their epitaph.

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  30. Outstanding post and photographs!

    We grew up in Florida where the Belted Kingfisher is abundant, and noisy. Our first nature outing when we moved to Germany produced that wonderful bright flying jewel, the Common Kingfisher, and we couldn’t believe it was related to our “dull”-looking Belted variety.

    Good luck on finding more of this very special species.

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    • Thank you, Wally. It doesn’t matter how often I see kingfishers, they always amaze me. I was also surprised that these two birds are related, but then our own relations are sometimes very different from us. 😊

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  37. I’ve been birding for quite a while now Tanja and you can take credit for having encountered a Kingfisher I have not – the Common variety. That is one pretty Fisher for sure. As mentioned, the Belted is fairly ubiquitous (very accessible in our parts), but we need to get you down to Texas and the specifically the South Padre or Rio Grande Valley areas to double your sightings with the Ringed and the Green variety. Let me know if/when you ever make your way down there and I’ll get you on target.

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    • Thank you, Brian.
      There is nothing common about the Common Kingfisher and it always gives me a thrill to come across one during my visits to Germany.
      Thank you for your willingness to make birding recommendations for Texas. I will let you know if I can ever get that trip organized. For family reasons, trips to Europe have to take precedence.

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