Kingfisher | 台北市立動物園資訊網

KingfishersorAlcedinidaeareafamilyofsmalltomedium-sized,brightlycoloredbirdsinthe...Afewspecies,principallyinsularforms,arethreatenedwithextinction.InBritain,thewordkingfishernormallyreferstothecommonkingfisher.

Family of birds

Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but also can be found in Europe and the Americas. They can be found in deep forests near calm ponds and small rivers. The family contains 118 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with only small differences betwe...