Common Kingfisher

river birds · hunting · Europe and Asia

Shimmering jewel colors. Common kingfishers are small birds with striking bright blue backs and warm orange undersides that make them look like tiny living gems along rivers and streams.

Underwater hunters. These birds can spot fish from above water and dive down at amazing speeds to catch them with their sharp, pointy beaks.

Winter movers. Kingfishers live year-round in most places, but they fly south when rivers freeze over in cold areas because they need unfrozen water to find food.

Widespread across continents. You can find seven different types of common kingfishers spread across Europe, Asia, and North Africa, with slight differences between each group.