Common kingfisher
Amazing fact
After catching a fish, a common kingfisher holds its tail and strikes it against a perch.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
After catching a fish, a common kingfisher holds its tail and strikes it against a perch.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Common kingfisher
- Scientific name
- Alcedo atthis
- Japanese name
- カワセミ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Alcedo
It lives near waterways such as rivers and canals with dense cover.
How the Common kingfisher lives
It searches for prey from a perch above the water. When it spots prey, it dives into the water and grabs it. Northern populations travel south in winter.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Length: 16–17 cmWingspan: 24–26 cm
- Weight
- 35–50 g
- Diet
- Fish, aquatic insects, tadpoles and shrimp
Where the Common kingfisher has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- カワセミ
- 简体中文
- 普通翠鸟
- 繁體中文
- 普通翠鳥
- 한국어
- 물총새
- Español
- Martín pescador común
- Français
- Martin-pêcheur d'Europe
- Deutsch
- Eisvogel
- Português (Brasil)
- Guarda-rios-comum
- Italiano
- Martin pescatore comune
- हिन्दी
- छोटा किलकिला
- العربية
- قرلى مألوف
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Raja-udang erasia
- Tiếng Việt
- Bồng chanh
- Русский
- Обыкновенный зимородок
- Türkçe
- Bayağı yalıçapkını
- বাংলা
- পাতি মাছরাঙা
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- Canal & River Trust — KingfisherChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Alcedo atthisChecked: 2026-11-05
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Common kingfisher, look for this
- Look for its blue back and orange underside.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
Canal & River TrustEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Common kingfisher
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Chubu
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Alcedinidae
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