| Species | Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis, bird |
| Habitat | PONDS AND LAKES RIVERS AND STREAMS |
| Background and status | The kingfisher lives
by lowland rivers and streams where the water is fairly shallow and slow
moving with a good supply of fish to feed on. Some shade and woody cover
is also favoured for perching while waiting for fish to appear.
Kingfishers nest in the river bank (which must be vertical), using their beak and tail to hollow out a burrow in soft soil. They produce a large brood (often up to sixyoung) around three or four times a year There are an estimated 4-6,000 breeding pairs of kingfisher in the UK, but the last twenty years have seen a decline in numbers, both in this country and across much of Europe. |
| Main Threats | Pollution and loss of habitat. Industrial pollution in the form of waste disposal into freshwater rivers, and agricultural pollution in the form of chemical runoff (pesticides and fertilisers) from fields, both affect kingfishers. In England and Wales, there has been a significant link between high levels of pollution and low numbers of kingfishers. The canalization or straightening of streams and rivers, and the accompanying loss of riverside vegetation, is highly detrimental to kingfishers, most likely through loss of nesting sites, feeding perches, and declines in fish numbers. |
| Conservation and targets | To reverse the current decline, measures which reduce or eliminate pollution in freshwaters must be taken, loss of habitat halted, and former habitats restored. The kingfisher is listed in the UK Biodiversity Steering Group long list of globally threatened or decling species; an action plan may be prepared in the future |
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