Common kingfisher
The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a small riparian bird from the family of river kingfishers (Alcedinidae). We recognize it by the colourful feathers. It has blue upperparts, orange under parts and white throat. The bird's size is from 16 to 20 centimetres. It has a disproportionately long break. It weighs about 40 grams. The common kingfisher lives solitary in the chosen territory on a steep, overgrown banks of the lowland rivers or streams, sometimes even in the wetlands. The female lays 6 to 7 eggs in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank. Both sexes incubate the eggs, which are hatched in 19-20 days. It has 2 litters per year.
The common kingfisher feeds on fish, such as minnows, Rhodeus amarus, threespined sticklebacks and other small Cyprinidae, aquatic insects and frog tadpoles. It hunts from a perch above the water, plunges into water at an angle of 45 º and grabs the fish, flies back and beats it against the perch several times. Once dead, the fish is positioned lengthways and swallowed head-first. The bird consumes a value of about his own bodyweight each day.
Threats
In Slovenia the common kingfisher is listed on the Red list as highly endangered species. Main treats to it are interventions in water regimes and loss of nesting grounds.
