Azure Kingfisher Species of Bird:

The Azure Kingfisher derives its name from its extremely colorful plumage.



The bird is smaller than other members of the Kingfisher family and is colored deep blue to azure. The bird also sports two white patches on the sides of its neck symmetrically. This is only visible from a side profile of the bird.



The bird also sports two white patches below the eyes that make the eyes actually bigger than they seem and this can only be seen from a frontal profile. Like all Kingfishers, this bird also is a specialist angler. It behavior can sometimes mimic that of a raptor where it settles on a perch looking into the water for small fish that it can aim for.



It then dives straight into the water and comes out within split second with the prey in its mouth.

Being a bird that relies on fish as a staple diet, it can therefore be stated that the bird is limited to semi-forested regions that have significant water bodies. The Azure Kingfisher’s habitat is therefore in the Northern parts of Australia, the Gold Coast, and Queensland. The bird can also be found in parts of New Guinea. The breeding season starts in September and goes on till January, culminating in a pair of Kingfishers finding a nest and the female laying a clutch of anywhere between 5 to 7 eggs. The eggs will take about 21 days to hatch and the young will be independent and on their own a month after hatching. Curiously, the bird doesn’t nest in a tree and instead digs out a burrow at a river bank. Since this species is so close to the ground when it is nesting, this can sometimes put it in harm’s way if the water body is being used by humans or livestock that can end up trampling over its nest. Cane toads that were an introduction into Australia are also a major problem for the Kingfisher and other bird species that nest on the ground and in burrows.

Despite this, the bird is not in the endangered species list and does not warrant any protection. Once in a specific area, the bird will rarely venture out and considering the stability of the habitat, the bird does not migrate at all. Another point of interference from humans comes from the introduction of carp to wetlands that can compete with the Kingfisher for resources.