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Animal profile

Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

AvesClear slow-flowing rivers, canals and lakes with overhanging perches and earth banksLeast Concern

Field profile

The common kingfisher is a small, brilliantly coloured fish-eater of clear fresh water. It hunts from a perch, plunging headfirst after small fish, and nests at the end of a tunnel dug into a river bank. Its blue is structural, not pigmented.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-12-14

Common Kingfisher

The kingfisher's blue is not a pigment

No blue pigment exists in a common kingfisher's feathers. The colour comes from microscopic structures in the barbs that scatter short wavelengths, which is why the same bird looks cyan, turquoise or dull brown depending on the angle of light.

Read with evidence →

Common Kingfisher | Daily Animal Facts