With blue and orange feathers that shine like jewelry it is no surprise that this is one of my favorite birds. This species lives in Eurasia where they are enjoyed by many. Fun fact you can easily tell how popular a bird is by how long their Wikipedia page is, and for the kingfisher it’s loooooong.
I have to point out their appearance again. Sure on pictures they already look beautiful; great color contrast, little dots on their feathers like rhinestones on a flamboyant cowboy. In real life they will take your breath away, like many birds they have “iridescent” feathers. From what I’ve gathered that means there are little prism like thingies on their feathers which reflect light and make them look shiny. Let me tell you when the sun hits them you will see it’s the prettiest thing on God’s green earth.
They hunt for little fish in the water. They usually sit on top of a branch to look for fish and when they have spotted an unsuspecting victim they jump down, make themselves as aerodynamic as possible, and enter the water like a bullet. They catch the fish with their beak and as quick as they entered, they leave the water and snack on their well-deserved grub. Truly remarkable and unique. Most underwater fishers stay there a long time but the kingfisher plans before hand and moves quick. Had the pleasure to see one hunt a little bit once, it was damn amazing.
They make little holes in the sides of riverbanks as their nests, where they make love and feed their kids.
I’ve only had the pleasure to see this bird three times in my life, two times only a few seconds, but the third time I got a good look. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me at the time, still want to ever make a good picture of one.
