The kingfisher (2) by WILBERT HEIJKOOP photography

About "The kingfisher (2)"

by WILBERT HEIJKOOP photography

About the artwork

The kingfisher is a typical fish-eater and is thus strongly water-bound. Because of its preference for steep walls to breed in, they are often found near running water, as steep banks naturally form there through erosion. Stagnant fish-rich waters with vegetation also provide excellent habitat. The species is common throughout most of its range, but in some areas the kingfisher is threatened with extinction. The kingfisher is a small bird with a short tail and legs, a short neck, short rounded wings, a large head with large eyes and a long, dagger-shaped bill. The legs are syndactyl: the front toes are partially fused at the base. The kingfisher is predominantly blue on top, with the feathers of the head and wings being iridescent blue-green, and lighter to cobalt blue on the middle of the back. The tail feathers are somewhat darker. The feathers on the breast and belly side are warm orange, standing out clearly with this. From the bill to behind the eye, an orange eye stripe is present on the cheek, which abruptly turns into a bright white stripe. The throat is also white. The legs of an adult kingfisher are orange to red in colour. Males can only be distinguished from females by the colour of the base of the lower bill, which is mostly to completely orange in the female. Orange may also occur in the base of the upper bill in the female. The lower bill of the male may be orange up to a third of its length, as seen from the base. Juveniles are distinguished from adults by the fainter plumage with dark grey-edged breast feathers, a shorter bill with a pale bill tip, and dark brown legs.