Alcedo azurea
Azure Kingfisher – opis vrste
The Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus) is one of Australia’s most striking small kingfishers, instantly recognizable by its vivid electric-blue plumage, rusty-orange underparts, and long, sharp black bill. Despite its bright colors, this tiny bird — typically around 17–19 cm long — is surprisingly elusive, spending much of its time perched low over shaded water, waiting silently for the perfect moment to dive.
It inhabits freshwater streams, creeks, slow-moving rivers, billabongs, and mangrove edges, preferring areas with dense vegetation along the banks. This cover gives the kingfisher protection and a stable hunting platform. Azure Kingfishers feed mainly on small fish, but will also take tadpoles, aquatic insects, and small crustaceans.
Their hunting style is classic kingfisher behavior: a short, rapid dive from a low perch, a swift grab of prey, and a return to the branch — often beating the catch against the perch before swallowing it whole.
Breeding usually occurs from August to February. They dig tunnel-like nests in the banks of rivers or sandy embankments, sometimes extending up to a meter in length. Both parents participate in feeding the chicks, bringing a steady supply of small fish to the nest cavity.
Because of their shy nature, observing an Azure Kingfisher in the wild is always a special moment. The flash of blue along a quiet Australian waterway is often the only clue that this jewel-like bird is nearby.
Habitat: Rivers, creeks, wetlands
