Who hasn’t seen a kingfisher that clean little blue-and-green bird, in the vicinity of a stream, tank or a puddle? It is a bit larger than a sparrow and has a long straight pointed bill.
The common kingfisher is an expert fish hunter who is equipped with the special ability to spot fishes even under water. The kingfisher will wait patiently, perching on low overhanging branches. When the time comes, it will approach the prey swiftly by diving or by hovering over the surface of water. Apart from fishes, they are also interested in water beetles and their larvae or other edible aquatic creatures.
Kingfishers prefer building their nests on the banks of streams. They choose long burrows, at least one metre in length which ends in a spacious chamber. This is where they lay two to ten eggs, which are shiny white in colour.
These birds are very common in Europe, Africa and Asia, especially in India. These birds have seven subspecies within themselves. They are so plentiful globally that the IUCN does not consider them a threatened species.