Photo: Luca Casale / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Kingfishers & Rollers

Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Europe & Northern Asia.

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Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire Birds of South Yorkshire Birds of Berkshire Birds of Bristol Birds of Cambridgeshire Birds of Cheshire Birds of Cumbria Birds of Cornwall

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The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Australia & Oceania, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 31.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
Genus Alcedo
Species atthis

Where it lives

Widespread, also northern AF, eastern New Guinea, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.

Quick facts

Weight: 31.1 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Alcedinidae
Order: Coraciiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Main colours Blue Orange White

Male vs female

The sexes are alike in colour — both are iridescent blue-green above with rufous-orange underparts and a white throat/neck patch — and differ only in bill colour: the male's bill is mostly black with some red at the base, while the female's lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip.

Juvenile appearance

Juveniles are duller and greener above with paler underparts and initially blackish legs (adults have red legs).

Similar birds

Least Concern

Azure Kingfisher

Ceyx azureus

Near Threatened

Sula Dwarf Kingfisher

Ceyx wallacii

Least Concern

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Alcedo meninting

Least Concern

Makira Dwarf Kingfisher

Ceyx gentianus

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Common Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of rivers and riverside habitats, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Common Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR, AU widespread, also n AF, e New Guinea, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 31.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 3.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 25 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Common Kingfisher — Flight call

Recorded by Bo-Göran Persson Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Common Kingfisher?

The Common Kingfisher is a small bird that weighs around 31.1 g.

Where does the Common Kingfisher live?

The Common Kingfisher is found across Australia & Oceania, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR, AU widespread, also n AF, e New Guinea, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Common Kingfisher belong to?

The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.

What does the Common Kingfisher eat?

The Common Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Common Kingfisher migrate?

The Common Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Common Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Common Kingfisher make?

1 real field recording of the Common Kingfisher — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Common Kingfisher's range?

The Common Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 25 million km².