Read About Kingfisher Bird

Kingfisher Bird hunts and eats its own fish food on the banks of seas and rivers. Here's everything you need to know about them.

Kingfisher Bird-- Facts

1. Breed:

   These birds come from the family of tropical and sub-tropical birds.

2. Size:

   Kingfisher birds measure somewhere between 4 to 18 inches.

3. Life Span:

   Kingfishers are not very long lived birds. The average life span of these birds is up to 15 years.

4. Varieties:

   Although there are about 80 species of kingfisher living all around the world, the three main species of kingfisher are the belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon, and the giant kingfisher.

5. Origins:

   These birds have found their origin in Alaska. They are found in Southern Canada and U.S.A. In winter they are found in Pacific Ocean coast.

6. Physical Traits:

   They have a large head compared to their compact body. They have a long and a very strong bill. They have a short neck and short tail. These birds have plumages that can be green, blue, purple, reddish brown, or white. Several of them also have iridescent feathers.

7. Temperament:

   Mostly, kingfisher birds like to live as solitary creatures. They are known for their loud shrieks which almost resembles human laughter.

8. Trainability:

   Kingfisher birds are wild birds. It is very difficult to capture them, cage them and then try to train them. Also, since these birds thrive on fresh fish caught from the seas, it is difficult to confine them in cages.

Kingfisher Bird -- Care

1. Habitat:

   They build their nests in tree embankments or cavities. You can also find their necks in shore banks and tunnels. When they lay eggs, they build their necks away from water as they fear that some one might eat them.

2. Food:

   Kingfisher birds are mostly carnivorous. Most of them eat insects and other invertebrates. Most of them survive on fish which they themselves catch and eat from the rivers and the seas. They also feed on grasshoppers, beetles and small reptiles.

3. Compatibility:

   Kingfishers like to remain solitary. They do not like the company of other birds; even of birds of their own ilk.

Kingfisher Bird -- Concerns

1. Benefits:

   They are valued by farmers as they kill harmful snakes and lizards. In this manner, kingfishers act as useful pest scavengers.

2. Liabilities:

   Kingfisher populations can be a detriment to fishermen.

3. Health Issues:

   There are no health issues of the kingfishers. They are generally healthy birds.

4. Specific Care Needs:

   Kingfishers can persist on their own, surviving on fish they catch. They do not require and appreciate any human care.

5. Special Household Needs:

   Kingfishers are not ideal to be kept in cages within the homes. So the question of household needs does not arise.

Kingfisher Bird -- How to Choose

1. What to Look for:

   Kingfishers like to be solitary. Being with other birds can bring distress in them.

2. Supplies:

   You need not provide any supplies to the kingfishers. Nature has trained them to subsist on their own.

3. Expense:

   Kingfishers are not kept as pets. They are not sold in pet stores.