Common kingfisher - Alcedo atthis

Common Name :	Common kingfisher, Eurasian kingfisher, River kingfisher.
Binomial Name :	Alcedo atthis
Family :	Alcedinidae
Bengali Name :	Pati Machhranga (পাতি মাছরাঙ্গা).
Photo Taken :	Bangladesh

We have several kingfisher birds in Bangladesh. Amongst those the Common Kingfisher is the smallest one, and in my opinion the most attractive one. In general we call all the kingfishers as Machhranga (মাছরাঙ্গা). If we want to go for more bookish then this Common kingfisher can be called literally as 'Pati Machhranga'. This small beautiful bird belongs to the family Alcedinidae. Its binomial name is Alcedo atthis. In English this bird has several names which are Eurasian kingfisher, River kingfisher, etc. Its range is vast and also frequently available in our Bangladesh.

Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a very shy bird but an excellent hunter of fishes from the river, pond, canal or any other wetlands. This lovely colorful bird is having a very bright blue upper part (wings, back, etc) which is also having spotted with whites. The under part is orange, chestnut-red in color. At the throat it has slightly white color. Behind the eye it has orange color and after that it is white (at color after neck).

The beak of the Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is much larger compare to the whole body (similar to other kingfishers). The tail is very short (sometimes hard to notice). Both the male and the female kingfishers are similar in shape and color. But the male is having a complete black beak whereas the female is having a red color near the base of the beak. This bird is having a fine pair of orange colored small leg.

A female Common kingfisher that is having a red/orange base at the beak.

Common kingfisher is a very rapid flyer. It mainly flies very lower over the water with an extreme speed. I have seen once this bird hovering on air for a short period of a time. To justify the name kingfisher, this bird is also an expert fish catcher. With its sharp eyes it can detect the movement of the fishes under water and can hunt those with its rapid speed. Its main diet is the fish.

This small kingfisher maintain its territory. Even the male and female are living in a separate territory. Their territories only merges during the breeding seasons only. They make nest on the vertical bank of a river, pond, or a canal. Both birds help to excavate the hole on the mud for the nest.

Photos of Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) were taken from Bangladesh as follows:
1) November 2014: Jahangirnogor University, Savar.
2) December 2014: Baikka Beel, Srimongol.
3) December 2014: Shonar chor, Patuakhali.


This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://icbird.blogspot.com/