Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing kingfishers. Despite the name, not all kingfishers are fishing birds. Some don't even eat fish at all. Their scientific name is Greek in origin, with the original term taken from a pair of lovers who were turned into kingfishers after their death. The name "kingfisher" came hundreds of years earlier and was in reference to the birds in Europe being "fishing kings." Of course, they had other common names such as "icebird" but kingfisher is what stuck around in English despite the fact that they don't all fish.

Some of the most famous kingfishers are the kookaburras who eat lizards, mice, and beetles, however there are over 100 living kingfisher species, and they are often separated into three distinct groups: the river kingfishers, the terrestrial kingfishers, and the water kingfishers (who aren't the same as the river kingfishers even if the names seem similar). River kingfishers are often diving birds, but not always. Terrestrial kingfishers are also known as tree or wood kingfishers and don't hunt fish. Water kingfishers include all the American kingfisher species and every member of the group is a fish specialist.

These birds have a cosmopolitan distribution meaning they live all across the world, although they haven't made their way to polar regions. They're often found near water, such as rivers, streams, and vegetated lakes, as their name would imply, but they're also observed in woodland edges, dense bushes with tree coverage, mangroves and estuaries, and even coastlines. Some species take on bright, saturated hues while others may be more dull with speckles and stripes. Female kingfishers are just as colorful as the males. In size, they average a foot (30 cm) long with the smallest species only reaching a few inches in length and the largest about 16 inches (41 cm) in length.

Kingfishers most often hunt from a perch, although some species are capable of hovering while they hunt and can fly over deep water to catch food. Those that dive often have a membrane that closes over their eye when they enter the water, so they have to catch their quarry by feeling and not sight! Once a meal is captured, the kingfisher returns to its perch and jabs the prey with its beak, often smacking it against the perch to make it easier to swallow. Kingfishers have long beaks, short necks and wings, and fused toes. They're generally capable enough fliers that adults are rarely predated, however, nest invaders include all kinds of animals such as chimps, raccoons, minks, dingoes, monitor lizards, and more.

Kingfishers are recorded reaching 15 years of age, although the lifespan of many species is unreported. These birds start life as an egg. A female lays about two to eight eggs in a nest constructed by both parents. Kingfishers commonly utilize earthen hillsides which they excavate to form nesting chambers. If this isn't available, they'll also use the burrows of other animals, including termites, or take over the excavated holes of other animals such as woodpeckers. Both parents incubate the eggs, and they take about a month to hatch. The chicks stay in the nest for another month before emerging to learn how to fly and hunt. In diving species, the parents leave out nearly dead fish for the babies to practice. 

Many kingfishers live in monogamous pairs which defend their territory from any intruders, including humans! There are some species that have nesting helpers, either their own young from previous years or even unrelated individuals. These helpers are non-breeding and ensure the chicks survive to independence. In situations where this occurs, the chicks are far more likely to live. Kingfishers may also infrequently form loose colonies of multiple breeding pairs. This occurs when nesting sites are few and far between, so the birds must cooperate to ensure successful hatching of their young. Even in these settings, however, they can get petty. It's not unheard of for a kingfisher to raid the nest of a neighbor and destroy their eggs. 

With that much interaction among their partners and neighbors, kingfishers have a variety of calls to communicate. Here are some examples of the sounds they make: (audio)

For more facts on kingfishers, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!