Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • United Kingdom
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. United Kingdom
  3. 2021
  4. July 13
  5. Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) near Wychbold, Worcestershire
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) near Wychbold, Worcestershire

July 13, 2021

Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) near Wychbold, Worcestershire

© David Pike/Minden Picture

Riverside royalty

Small but beautiful, it’s not often you get a close-up look at a kingfisher on its perch. You’re more likely to glimpse a metallic flash of those blue-green feathers as it dives into the water after its prey - small fish like minnows and sticklebacks. The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is just one of more than 100 kingfisher species across the world, ranging from the tiny African dwarf kingfisher - weighing in at 9g (less than half an ounce) - to the Australian laughing kookaburra, which tips the scales at nearly 500g (18oz).

This particular version’s beautiful plumage made it a target for taxidermists and milliners in Victorian times. These days, its main threats are river pollution and severe winters which put its food supply at risk. For such a small bird, it has a large appetite and must eat its own body weight (between 34g and 46g) in fish and insects every day to survive. If there are chicks to feed as well, kingfishers will spend every moment of daylight hunting for fish.

They nest, not in trees, but in holes in riverbanks and are very territorial, covering stretches of river of at least 1km. If you’re lucky, you may see one skimming the water’s surface, constantly on the lookout for its next meal.

bird animal outdoor kingfisher sitting perched branch colorful woodpecker hummingbird wildlife

Related Images

A kingfisher perched on a branchA kingfisher perched on a branch

Today on Bing

Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye

Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye

Jul 13, 2024
Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, Gansu, China

Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, Gansu, China

Jul 13, 2023
Basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, County Antrim

Basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, County Antrim

Jul 13, 2022
Boats in Tollesbury Marina, Essex

Boats in Tollesbury Marina, Essex

Jul 13, 2020
Sailors begin their journey from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA, during the Race to Mackinac

Sailors begin their journey from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA, during the Race to Mackinac

Jul 13, 2019

Related Tags

bird outdoor animal kingfisher perched branch feather sitting colorful woodpecker hummingbird wildlife
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.