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Kingfisher Facts & Worksheets

The kingfisher is a tiny bird with distinguishing plumage. A kingfisher is only slightly larger than a robin, with a wingspan of 25cm and a body length of 16cm, but it weighs about twice as much.

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The Kingfisher is a tiny bird with distinguishing plumage. It has a vivid metallic blue back and a coppery-brown breast. The beak is long and black, with a red spot at the base in females. A kingfisher is only slightly larger than a robin, with a wingspan of 25cm and a body length of 16cm, but it weighs about twice as much.

See the fact file below for more information about the Kingfisher, or you can download our 25-page Kingfisher worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

TAXONOMY AND EVOLUTION

  • The Alcedinidae family of kingfishers belongs to the order Coraciiformes, which also includes motmots, bee-eaters, todies, rollers, and ground-rollers. 
  • In 1815, the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque introduced the family name as Alcedia. The tree kingfishers (Halcyoninae), river kingfishers (Alcedininae), and water kingfishers (Cerylinae) are the three subfamilies of kingfisher.
  • The term Daceloninae is occasionally used for the tree kingfisher subfamily; however, it was first used by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1841, while Halcyoninae was first used by an Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825, and thus holds priority.
  • The Australasian region is the center of the kingfisher variety, yet the species originated in the Indomalayan region about 27 million years ago and repeatedly entered the Australasian region.
  • Around 30–40 million years ago, Lower Eocene rocks in Wyoming and Middle Eocene rocks in Germany were home to fossilized kingfishers. More recently, fossilized kingfishers have been discovered in the Miocene rocks of Australia.

DESCRIPTION

  • The African dwarf kingfisher is the smallest species of kingfisher, measuring an average of 10 cm in length and weighing between 9 and 12 g. The giant kingfisher, on the other hand, is the largest in Africa, measuring 42 to 46 cm in length and 255 to 426 g, with females weighing about 500 grams.
  • Most kingfishers have colorful plumage, with green and blue being the most popular hues. The structure of the feathers, which results in the dispersion of blue light, gives the colors their brightness rather than iridescence or pigments. Most species lack obvious sex differences, and those that do tend to be fairly little.
  • The kingfishers have long bills that resemble daggers. In animals that hunt fish, the bill is typically longer and more compressed; in species that pursue prey off the ground, the bill is typically shorter and more broad. The shovel-billed kookaburra has the biggest and most unusual bill, which it uses to scrape into the forest floor in pursuit of prey. 
  • The majority of species have four toes, three of which point forward. The majority of species have dark brown eyes. Kingfishers are thought to have particularly good color vision, great binocular vision, and superb vision in general. 
  • Instead of using head motions to track prey, they have limited eye movement within the sockets. They can also correctly determine the depth of the water below them and compensate for water’s refraction and reflection when seeking prey underwater. 
  • The pied kingfisher has a bony plate that glides across the eye as it strikes the water, and they both have nictitating membranes that cover the eyes to protect them when they hit the water.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

  • The distribution of kingfishers is global, with populations found in both tropical and arctic climates. The arctic regions and some of the harshest deserts on the planet are devoid of them. Several species, especially those in the south and east Pacific Ocean, have gotten to island groupings. 
  • The main regions for this category are Australasia and the tropics of the Old World. Only one belted kingfisher and one common kingfisher each, together with a few unusual or extremely local species, are found in Europe and North America north of Mexico.
  • The common kingfisher, which travels from Ireland to Europe, North Africa, and Asia as far as the Solomon Islands in Australasia, and the pied kingfisher, which has a large distribution over Africa and Asia, are just two examples of birds that can have enormous ranges.
  • Other species, notably insular species isolated to a single small island, have substantially limited home ranges. Only the island of Kofiau off the coast of New Guinea is home to the Kofiau paradise kingfisher. Kingfishers live in a variety of settings. Over half of the world’s species are in forests and wooded streams, frequently connected with rivers and lakes.
  • Additionally, they live in a variety of other habitats. Although kingfishers are missing from other arid deserts like the Sahara, the red-backed kingfisher of Australia inhabits the driest deserts. Some species are found on tropical coral atolls, while others dwell in open woods or mountains. 
  • Many species, especially those that prefer woodlands, have adapted to human-modified environments and can be found in cultivated and agricultural areas, as well as parks and gardens in towns and cities

KINGFISHERS FROM SIX CONTINENTS

NORTH AMERICA

  • The belted kingfisher is a model species for most people in the United States and Canada. The species is approximately typical in size for the family, with a 20-inch wingspan. The belted kingfisher’s blues are remarkable, but they are more muted than those of many other species. Belted kingfishers typically live near bodies of water since they depend heavily on fish for nutrition. 
  • Although the green kingfisher can be found in the southwestern regions of the United States, from Arizona to Texas, it is more common in Central and South America. One species in this genus excavates nesting tunnels up to three feet deep into riverbanks.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

  • Although the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas is in the southernmost point of the United States, the ringed kingfisher has a wide range throughout Central and South America. Since the 1960s, the species’ distribution has slowly been extending throughout Texas. Ringed kingfishers inhabit both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. 

EUROPE

  • In many of Europe, the common kingfisher represents the sole kingfisher species. They are also widely distributed in southern Asia, up to Indonesia, and in northern Africa, down to Papua New Guinea.

ASIA

  • Southeast Asia is the world’s hub for kingfisher diversity, and this is where banded kingfishers can be found. Many kingfisher species have variable male and female plumage, but banded carry this sexual dimorphism to the extreme. In some species of kingfisher, the females have more ornate plumage, whereas in the case of bandeds, the males have more elaborate plumage.

AUSTRALIA

  • In eastern and southern Australia, metropolitan parks and open forests can be home to large populations of kookaburras. These birds hunt aquatic and terrestrial prey such as fish, lizards, snakes, birds, and small mammals.
  • On the island of New Guinea and the northern Australian coast, buff-breasted paradise kingfishers can be seen. Termite mounds include nesting cavities dug by the insects’ brilliant orange bills.

AFRICA

  • The Pied Kingfisher is a particularly widespread species that can be found from Beijing, China, to Cape Town, South Africa. It is the most pelagic species and eats a lot of fish. Pied kingfishers soar above open water before diving in to capture prey they later consume while flying. This kingfisher species is unusually sociable, returning to nocturnal roosts with many other birds, while many kingfishers are highly territorial.

Kingfisher Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Kingfisher across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Kingfisher. The kingfisher is a tiny bird with distinguishing plumage.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Kingfisher Facts
  2. Unlocking Words
  3. True or False
  4. Describe Me
  5. Get to know Kingfisher
  6. Life Cycle
  7. Is it a Kingfisher?
  8. My Kingfisher
  9. Find One
  10. My Stance
  11. Flash Report

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a kingfisher?

A kingfisher is a type of colorful bird belonging to the Alcedinidae family. Known for their vibrant plumage and specialized hunting techniques, they are often found near rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water.

How do kingfishers catch their prey?

Kingfishers are skilled hunters that primarily feed on fish and aquatic insects. They use their sharp beaks to dive into the water from a perch, seizing their prey with precision. The distinctive long bill helps reduce water splashes during the dive.

Where do kingfishers nest?

Kingfishers typically nest in burrows that they excavate into the banks of rivers, streams, or other suitable water bodies. The burrows are often dug into soft soil, and the nesting chambers are lined with regurgitated fish bones and scales.

How many species of kingfishers are there?

There are over 90 species of kingfishers distributed worldwide. They vary in size, coloration, and habitat preferences. Common species include the Common Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher, and the Kookaburra found in Australia.

Why are kingfishers associated with good luck in some cultures?

In various cultures, kingfishers are considered symbols of good luck and prosperity. Their bright colors and agile hunting behavior are often seen as positive traits. Additionally, their presence near water is sometimes associated with abundance and the continuity of life.

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Link will appear as Kingfisher Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 7, 2024

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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