๐ฆ
๐ท๏ธ
Classification
Bird
๐ฝ๏ธ
Diet
Carnivore
โฑ๏ธ
Lifespan
5โ7 years
โ๏ธ
Weight
0.034โ0.046 kg
Population Trend
โก๏ธStable
Description
A dazzling flash of electric blue and orange along European waterways.
Habitat
๐ฟ rivers๐ฟ streams๐ฟ lakes๐ฟ ponds
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Coraciiformes
Family
Alcedinidae
Genus
Alcedo
Fun Facts
1
Their iridescent blue plumage is not from pigment but light refraction on feather structure.
2
Can dive into water at speeds up to 25 km/h to catch fish.
3
Must eat roughly their body weight in fish every day to survive.
4
Kingfishers have a specialized third eyelid that acts as swimming goggles.
5
Despite their vivid colors, they are surprisingly hard to spot due to their speed.