Quick Facts

Number in Britain	Conservation Status UK	Status in UK	Length	Wingspan	Weight	Habitat	First Record
11,400	Amber	Migrant/Resident Breeder	16 cm	25cm	40g	Rivers, marshes, lakes, seacoasts	8th Century

 

Egg Size	Egg Weight	Clutch Size	Incubation	Fledging	Number of broods	First clutches laid	Age at First Breeding	Maximum Recorded Age
22x19  mm	4.3g	5-7 eggs	21-21  days	23-26 days	1 or 2	Late April	1 year	4y6m

 The Kingfishers dig burrows in the river banks, digging with their beaks and push the dirt out of the burrows with their feet.They have long beaks, short legs and small  feeble feet.

The average lifespan is 15 years.

The nest fills with fish bones, droppings and pellets, making the Kingfisher one of the most unhygienic birds.

 Numerous young Kingfishers die by drowning when they first fledge. Because of the high death rate, pairs usually have two or three broods a year, with as many as 10 in a brood.

A Kingfisher needs to eat at least 16 minnows a day to survive the winter.

As many as 90% of Kingfishers die in a severe winter.

They also eat many aquatic insects.

There are 90 different species of Kingfisher although only one breeds in Europe.

Many of the Kingfishers never eat fish or go near water.