Kingfishers are very easy to recognize. Their powerful bills allow them to spear fish when they dive into the water, and their colorful feathers glitter just like the streams they love to perch above. Found worldwide, these unique looking birds are always fun to watch. In this article we explore 14 facts about kingfishers and how they are unique in the animal kingdom.
14 Facts About Kingfishers
1. There are about 114 species of Kingfishers.
Kingfishers live on every continent but Antarctica. Most species live in the eastern parts of the Old Word, that is, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Southeast Asia and the Australian islands region have the highest concentration of kingfishers.
A handful, however, live in western Europe and the Western Hemisphere. North and South America are home to just six species of kingfisher. Only three live in Europe. We outlined a few species in this article if you want to learn more about the different species.
2. Kingfishers nest in underground burrows or tree cavities.
It may surprise you to discover that many kingfishers nest underground. Most birds choose to raise young in the safety of the trees, but these water-loving birds developed another way to keep their eggs and chicks safe.
Males and females work together to excavate a burrow from a sandy riverbank. It has one tunnel which ends in a round chamber. When kingfishers return to their nests, they fly at high speed directly into the disguised hole in the riverbank.
Kingfishers which prefer to nest in tree cavities choose trees close to the water. They want to be close to sources of food to bring back to their hungry chicks.
3. There are three categories of kingfisher: Water, River, and Tree Kingfishers.
The three groups of kingfishers are divided up mainly according to their diet and habitat.
Tree kingfishers are less reliant on water than the other two groups. They prefer to eat small lizards, mammals, insects, and worms. They also nest in trees instead of burrows. Being close to water isn’t a requirement for them.
River kingfishers’ rely more on fish for food, but they also eat frogs, insects, spiders, flies, and tadpoles. They perch and dive for their prey in rivers and streams. They are also known as ‘pygmy’ kingfishers because of their smaller size.
Water kingfishers share many traits with the river kingfishers, but they rely solely on fish for their food source. They prefer to nest in burrows, where they are close to food sources. They are often the biggest kingfishers, able to catch larger fish.
4. Kingfishers live on every continent except Antarctica.
Where there is water, there is probably a kingfisher. These hardy birds inhabit freshwater rivers, streams, and wetlands. Some live in coastal marshes with a mix of saltwater and freshwater.
Their distribution around the world depends on what subfamily of kingfisher. Only water kingfishers are native to North America. The river and tree kingfishers live in Asia, Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia.