Alcedo atthis

The Common Kingfisher scientific name Alcedo atthis, foreign language name Common Kingfisher, European Kingfisher, Kingfisher, Martin-pecheur d'Europe, Qihui Qihui, there are 7 subspecies (1. Common kingfisher named subspecies Alcedo atthis atthis. 2. Common kingfisher common subspecies Alcedo atthis bengalensis. 3. Alcedo atthis floresiana, East Timorese subspecies of common kingfisher. 4. Common kingfisher Sulawesi subspecies Alcedo atthis hispidoides. 5. Alcedo atthis ispida, European subspecies of the common kingfisher. 6. The common kingfisher, Solomon Islands subspecies Alcedo atthis salomonensis. 7. Alcedo atthis taprobana, South Asian subspecies of the common kingfisher. .

Common kingfishers are resident birds. They often live alone, usually resting on stumps and rocks near the river, and sometimes on the low branches of small trees near the river. Often for a long time motionless staring at the water, as soon as the fish and shrimp in the water, immediately with a very rapid and fierce posture into the water with the mouth to catch. Sometimes the wings are suspended in the air, looking down at the water, and the food immediately plunges into the water and is quickly captured. The prey is usually brought back to the habitat, beaten on a tree branch or stone, and eaten whole after the fish is dead. Sometimes they also fly in a straight line at a low altitude over the water, flying very fast, often screaming while flying.

The breeding season of the common kingfisher is from May to August. Usually nests in the water shore or near the steep soil rock or sandstone wall, digging holes for the nest. The hole is round and tunnel-like, with a diameter of 5-8 cm and a depth of 50-70 cm. The end of the hole expands into a nest 10-15 cm in diameter and 10 cm in height, and there is no inner cushion inside the nest, only some soft sand. 1 brood a year, each brood lays 5-7 eggs, the eggs are nearly round or oval, white, smooth without spots, the size of 20-21 mm ×17-19 mm, weight 3.2-4.0 grams. The male and female birds incubate the eggs in turn, and the incubation period is 19-21 days. The chicks are late sex and can leave the nest to fly for 23-30 days after hatching.

The global population of the common kingfisher species is estimated to be less than 600,000 (2001). The European population is estimated at 97,500-167,000 pairs, equivalent to 195,000-334,000 mature individuals (2015). Europe accounts for about 25% of the global range, so preliminary estimates of the global population size are 780,000-1,340,000 mature species, although further verification is needed. Total species population estimates include about 100-100,000 breeding pairs in China, about 50-10,000 migratory individuals, and 10,000-100,000 breeding pairs. About 10,000-100,000 breeding pairs in Taiwan; About 100-10,000 breeding pairs and about 50-1,000 individuals migrated in Korea; In Japan, about 10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and about 50-1,000 individuals migrated, and in Russia about 100-100,000 breeding pairs and about 50-10,000 individuals migrated (2009). In Europe and the EU27, the estimated species population size has decreased by 30-49% in 13.2 years (three generations) (BirdLife International 2015). Trends elsewhere are unknown.

Listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN)2016 ver3.1 - Not Threatened (LC).

It is listed in the List of Terrestrial Wildlife of Important ecological, scientific and Social Value of China.

Protect wild animals and eliminate wild meat.

Maintaining ecological balance is everyone's responsibility!

Breeding ground: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Serbia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan Tanzania, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
Seasonal uncertainty: Macau, China.
Resident Bird: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
Non-breeding pla

Common kingfisher male forehead, head, pillow and nape black green, dense turquoise blue thin stripes. First and through eye stripe dark brown. The forehead side, cheek, behind the eyes and ear cover chestnut brown, a white spot behind the ear. The zygomatic line is turquoise blue green black, the back to the tail overlying feathers are bright blue. The tail is short, the surface is dark blue-green, and the bottom is dark brown. Shoulder blue-green, in addition to the first primary flight feathers are black brown, the rest of the flight feathers black brown, the outer edge is dark blue. The overlying wings are also dark blue with turquoise markings, and the surface of the wings is blue-green when folded. Chin, throat white, chest gray brown, belly to tail undercoat reddish brown or brown chestnut, sometimes lighter in the center of the abdomen.
The upper body color of the female bird is slightly lighter than that of the male bird, more blue, less green. The crown of the head is gray