They are widespread, especially in central and
southern England, becoming less common further
north.
Kingfishers prefer still or slow flowing water such as lakes, canals and rivers
in lowland areas. In winter, some individuals move to estuaries and the coast.
Occasionally they may visit garden ponds if of a suitable size.
They fly rapidly, low over water, and hunt fish and aquatic insects from
riverside perches, sometimes hovering above the water's surface.
The Kingfisher has special visual adaptations to enable it to pursue its prey
under water. Their glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow
in a riverbank.
They are vulnerable to hard winters and habitat degradation through pollution or
unsympathetic management of watercourses. Kingfishers are amber listed because
of their unfavourable conservation status in Europe.
