Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Chloroceryle ("green + a bird mentioned by Aristole) americana (of America)

Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)  at Alajuela, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Chloroceryle americana septentrionalis
Weight: 35-40g  /  Length: 29cm  /  Wingspan: 27cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A widely distributed species found from Texas to Southern Argentina including almost the entire of South America East of the Andes. It is a fairly typical kingfisher in behaviour, hunting small fish and other aquatic prey by diving from a perch - in this instance, the wires above the crocodile enclosure at Rescarte Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus: Chloroceryle
SUBSPECIES: C. a. hackisukai, C. a. septentrionalis, C. a. americana, C. a. mathewsii, C. a. cabanisii

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Martín Pescador Verde ("Green Fishing Martin")
A locally common resident.
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: One bird seen at Alajuela,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:  Megaceryle (large + a bird mentioned by Aristotle) alcyon (kingfisher)

Adult female Belted Kingfisher (subspecies Mageceryle alycon) at Necedah, Wisconsin, USA - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 113-178g  /  Length: 28-35cm  /  Wingspan: 48-58cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Out of the USA's four regular Kingfisher species, the Belted is by far the most ubiquitous, with the other three largely limited to the Southern Border in Texas. A large bird capable of occupying diverse habitats, it's breeding range stretches as far as Alaska and Winters as far as South America. Unlike many species, it is the female which has the brighter plumage, with the male lacking the orange colouration.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus: Megaceryle
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Widely distributed Summer migrant.

 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Heard at several locations, but not seen.

 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: : Seen at Necedah, Wisconsin and Anchorage, Alaska among others

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Pelargopsis ("stork appearance") capensis ("Cape of Good Hope" - erroneously)

Adult Stork-billed Kingfisher (subspecies P. c. malaccensis) at Sungei Buloh, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Pelargopsis capensis malaccensis
Weight: 140-220g  /  Length: 35-41cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the largest of all Kingfishers, and certainly the biggest within it's range, the Stork-billed is a large powerful predator for the family, hunting not only fish but crabs, frogs, rodents and young birds.  It's large size and powerful bill give it a bolder demeanour, and it will apparently chase away eagles and other large predators.  It is found in various locations across Singapore, but compared to Collared and White-throated it is shyer, and favours larger and less disturbed habitat.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus: Pelargopsis
SUBSPECIES: P. c. capensis, P. c. burmanica, P. c. intermedia, P. c. osmastoni, P. c. malaceensis, P. c. cyanopteryx, P. c. simalurensis, P. c. sodalis, P. c. nesoeca, P. c. isoptera, P. c. innominata, P. c. floresiana, P. c. javana, P. c. gouldi, P. c. gigantea

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE - A local resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP:Several at Sungei Buloh

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Ceryle (a bird mentioned by Aristotle) rudis ("rude")

Three Pied Kingfisher - one male, two female (subspecies C. r. leucomelanaurus) at Florican Grasslands - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Ceryle rudis leucomelanurus
Weight: 84g  /  Length: 25cm  /  Wingspan: 45-47cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Pied Kingfisher is a fairly large and widely distributed member of the family, found across Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.  Really, any new Kingfisher species is always a treat, but I felt particularly pleased with our sightings of this bird - right at the beginning of the day, a single bird hovering for food near where we had stopped was quickly supplanted by a whole family of these striking birds, first on a gatepost, then on the opposite bank.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus Ceryle
SUBSPECIES: C. r. rudis, C. r. leucomelanurus, C. r. travancoreensis, C. r. insignis

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer: កដបខ្មៅ-ស ("black bottle")  

A locally reasonably common resident

 - Seen in reasonable numbers at the Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)

OTHER NAMES: White-collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Kingfisher

Latin Etymology: Todiramphus ("Small bird, bill") chloris ("green")

Adult Collared Kingfisher (subspecies T. c. humii) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Todiramphus chloris humii 
Weight: 51-90g  /  Length: 24cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

I must admit that when I first saw this bird on a dead tree looking at me face on, it looked slightly like a bedraggled fledgling house crow and it wasn't until I continued along the route I was walking I realised that in fact it was a new species of Kingfisher for me.  As you can probably guess from my mistake, this is another kingfisher that is substantially larger than the Eurasian Kingfisher.  Unlike the white-throated however, this is a bird specialized to the coast and mangroves in particular.  However, this bird (and indeed, it's partner I saw together with it a few minutes later) had a slightly different habitat - under a massive road-bridge across the mouth at the river at Malacca at the side of what was essentially brownfield site.  However, even so it posed for me very nicely and made a great final new bird of the trip.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes  
Family: Alcedinidae  
Genus: Todiramphus
SUBSPECIES: T. c. abyssinicus, T. c. kalbaensis, T. c. humii, T. c. vidali, T. c. armstrongi, T. c. davisoni, T. c. occipitalis, T. c. chloropterus, T. c. azelus, T. c. palmeri, T. c. laubmannianus, T. c. collaris, T. c. chloris, T. c. teraokai

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Pekaka Bakau ("Mangrove Kingfisher") 

A locally common resident.  

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A pair near the river mouth in Malacca

SINGAPORE - A locally common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Numerous at Sungei Buloh, a pair at Lower Pierce Reservoir

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

OTHER NAMES: White-breasted Kingfisher*, Smyrna Kingfisher 

Latin Etymology: Halcyon ("kingfisher") smyrnensis ("of the town of Izmir")

Adult White-throated Kingfisher (subspecies H. s. perpulchra) at Bishan Park, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Halycon smyrnensis perpulchra
Weight: 60-88g  /  Length: 26-28cm  /  Wingspan: 40-43cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Coming from Britain with our single small and elusive species of kingfisher, the White-throated Kingfisher is both surprisingly large and surprisingly ubiquitous.  Most notably perhaps of the contrasts though is that it is not strictly associated with water - while I did see them along rivers and streams, I also saw them in such incongruous locations as on a lamp-post over a motorway or on the power-lines over a railway.  This is a result of their more varied diet - unlike the fish specialist Common Kingfisher, here they are more general predators who also hunt lizards and invertebrates.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus: Halycon
SUBSPECIES: H. s. smyrnensis, H. s. fusca, H. s. saturatior, H. s. perpulchra, H. s. fokiensis, H. s. gularis* 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Pekaka Dada Putih ("White-Chested Kingfisher")

Fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Seen in small numbers throughout the trip in many locations including Kuala Lumpur
SINGAPORE - Fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One at Bishan Park and a later bird in Ang Mo Kio.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto    

*This is another case of name confusion based on splits - the White-breasted Kingfisher is a Philippine equivalent Halycon gularis, which is either regarded as a full species of a subspecies of this one. .

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

OTHER NAMES: Kingfisher, Eurasian Kingfisher
Latin Etymology: Alcedo ("kingfisher") atthis (a Greek name connected to both mythic and real figures)

 Adult Common Kingfisher (subspecies A. a. atthis) at Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: Alcedo atthis atthis

Weight: 31g  /  Length: 17cm  /  Wingspan: 25cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Seeing a kingfisher can be tricky - they move at high speed, have low population densities as they are fish specialists, and generally when you do see them it is as a brilliant turquoise streak darting down the river next to you. The fact they live on rivers can work to your advantage - as they use the rivers as high speed roads, sitting along a river where they are known to be will probably eventually yield you a glimpse. Photographing them is an entire other ballgame, and are potentially one of the most tricky of all diurnal birds I've photographed so far - I've only seen them actually sitting still long enough to get my camera out a handful of times, more usually it's a flash of turquoise and orange dashing down the river that is almost instantly gone from sight.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Genus: Alcedo
Subspecies: A. a atthis, A. a. ispida, A. a. bengalensis, A. a. taprobana, A. a. floresiana, A. a. hispiddoides, A. a. salomonensis, A. a. japonica

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Fairly common resident breeder (3,800-4,600 pairs)

 - Seen at sites including Rutland Water, Pitsford Reservoir, Ditchford Gravel Pits and Geddington.

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ចចាតក្រឹម

 A common resident..

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Numerous at Prek Toal

JAPAN - Japanese - カワセミ  /  Kawasemi ("River Kingfisher")

Widespread resident

 - KYOTO 2013 TRIP: A single bird seen fleetingly at Arashiyama. 

TURKEY  -   Turkish: Bayağı yalıçapkını  ("Pretty Kingfisher")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One in Side

Further Information: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .