Alcedo atthis - Kingfisher

These lovely birds are very common on Welsh rivers, where they feed on aquatic insects and small fishes. The male and female kingfisher are almost identical in appearance, but at least half of the lower bill of the female is reddish. (The bird in this picture is a female.)

Kingfishers nest at the end of burrows dug into steep, sandy river banks. The nest is made from dried fish bones. There they produce two broods of typically four to six youngsters each time. The presence of kingfishers is a good indicator of water quality.

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