Scientific name:
Alcedo atthis

Natural spread:
southeast-Asia, Australia

the European kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), shortly "kingfisher" named, the single European representative is the species-hands family to the kingfishers, whose main-spread-area lies in the southeast-Asian and Australian area. it is to be found over Europe in nine subtypes as far as after Asia (Sri Lanka, Salomonen).

Shape With its metallic blue until blue-green shiny upper side, its white throat, the reddish underside and the brick-red legs, big kingfisher is the approximately 17 cm undoubtedly one of the most colorful birds of its spread-area.

Way of life Nevertheless it often is overlooked because it either sits immovable in the branches at the edge of a water in order to dive into the water from there to the loot-catch arrow-fast or because just as fast it and linear over the water-surface rushes along. Only sometimes, it also is "shaking" at the water-surface until it packs its loot. With the fish in the beak, it usually comes back at its old location. Here the fish is right-shaken first until it is in longitudinal direction to the beak and can be gulped down. Stichlinge beats on a branch for a very long time it until the thorns broke off. Often, one hears only its high whistle, that it lets sound in the flight.

The kingfisher loves clear water. The increasing contamination of the waters ousts the birds from its habitat. Also strict winters decimate the continuance strongly, because the kingfisher is a stand-bird and for the loot-catch on ice-free places in the waters dependent. If everything froze over, it must starve. Although the birds defend the rather big precincts otherwise vigorously, one can spot also smaller groups of kingfishers at such feed-places in the winter. Fish-breeding-institutions are an ideal food-reservoir why the kingfisher is looked at involved feelings with the breeders. it collects primarily small and sick fish from the swarms out, has, however, a huge appetite, however. So, one fought it strongly exactly at fishponds unfortunately. If the feed becomes scarce, the kingfisher switches also to other loot-animals like small cancers, reptiles and water-insects.

Reproduction In the spring, it begins perform courtship display, the male recites its attention getting-chant and offers so long fish to a summoned female until it is combination-willing. The nest, a downright Erdbau, even sometimes builds together, mostly at bluffs about slowly flowing waters, the pair in a wall-hole also in bigger distance between the water and in exceptions, however. At first with the beak, then with the feet, a 30-100 cm long Erdgang is dug into the steep-wall, that is widened on its end of a Nisthöhle. The Nistkammer is not padded, but little by little laid out with from-choked fish bone and other food-rests.

From April until June or July, the female puts the 6-8 (rarely until 10) whitens and strongly shiny eggs. Both partners brood for 19-21 days, until the still bare boys slip. Kingfishers are nest-stools and must still be looked after from the parents 23-27 days, until they can finally fly out. Then however, they must learn the fish-catch first itself with difficulty. Because they still are unskilled in the beginning, numerous squabs perish miserably after numerous useless attempts on that occasion. The others thin out soon, also the parents separate again if a second brood is not pulled up in the same Nistkammer. Kingfishers don't hold the nest clean so that it has radiated a bad smell for a long time before going out. The alto-birds can therefore be observed with often in the feeding time how they clean its plumage with the loot-catch. On the basis of its beauty, the kingfisher became object of numerous old sagas and legends, in the vernacular, it is called also "flying gem" or the "jewel of the inner-waters."

Endangering The kingfisher is on the red list of the endangered types with us meanwhile.