Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) [XC511644]
by Patrik \u00c5berg from V\u00e4stra G\u00f6talands l\u00e4n, Sweden (begging call, wingbeats, hatchling or nestling)
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) [XC598253]
by Luca Forneris from Miszkowice (near Buk\u00f3wka), Kamienna G\u00f3ra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Does not breed in Australia. Breeds in northern hemisphere.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Nest
A tunnel in clay or gravel bank of a stream. The chamber generally above the water level.
Proposed subspecies japonica included within bengalensis.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
atthis (Linnaeus, 1758) - North-western Africa and southern and eastern Spain east to Bulgaria, Afghanistan, north-western India, central Siberia and north-western China. Winters south to Egypt, north-eastern Sudan, Oman and Pakistan.
ispida Linnaeus, 1758 - Southern Norway, British Is and Spain (except southern and E) east to western Russia and Romania. Winters south to southern Portugal, northern Africa, Cyprus and Iraq.
bengalensis Gmelin, JF, 1788 - Central India east to south-eastern Asia, southern and eastern China (including Hainan), south-eastern Siberia, eastern Mongolia and Japan. Winters south to Greater Sundas, northern Sulawesi, Sula Is, northern Moluccas and Philippines.
taprobana Kleinschmidt, O, 1894 - India south of R Godavari, and Sri Lanka.
floresiana Sharpe, 1892 - Bali and Lesser Sundas east to Wetar and Timor.
hispidoides Lesson, R, 1837 - Sulawesi, Moluccas and western Papuan Is, and coastal eastern New Guinea from R Sepik and R Aroa to D’Entrecasteaux Is and Louisiade and Bismarck Archipelagos.
salomonensis Rothschild & Hartert, 1905 - Solomon Is (Buka and Bougainville east to San Cristobal).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet