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Kingfisher
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A malachite kingfisher with bright blue and orange plumage perches on a branch in Mkuzi Game Reserve, South Africa. belted kingfisher Blue-winged kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) perched on a branch, showing brown, white, and bright blue feathers with a blurred green background.
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A malachite kingfisher with bright blue and orange plumage perches on a branch in Mkuzi Game Reserve, South Africa.
kingfisher Malachite kingfisher (Alcedo cristata).

Kingfisher

bird
Also known as: Alcedinidae
Written by
Sy Montgomery
Natural history writer. Author of Journey of the Pink Dolhpins: An Amazon Quest and Spell of the Tiger in addition to other books and articles.
Sy Montgomery
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

Kingfisher, any of about 90 species of birds in three families (Alcedinidae, Halcyonidae, and Cerylidae), noted for their spectacular dives into water. They are worldwide in distribution but are chiefly tropical. Kingfishers, ranging in length from 10 to 42 cm (4 to 16.5 inches), have a large head, a long and massive bill, and a compact body. Their feet are small, and, with a few exceptions, the tail is short or medium-length. Most species have...

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