KINGFISHERS
Alcedo atthis
The colourful bird that we can see in the Room of Bra Habitats, in the diorama devoted to living things a in a pond in spring and that is diving to catch a fry is a kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). It is one of the most beautiful and colourful birds in the Italian wildlife. The female is similar to the male with one difference only: its beak is not completely black, it is orange in the lower part of its body. This species is related to water and lies on the outcropping branches or small protrusions and then dive on the preys it catches with its long beak. In order to increase the speed of entry into the water, it flaps its wings quickly before putting them backwards, thus getting an aerodynamic profile. The small fishes that this bird catches, which account for the majority of the food it feeds on, are held by their tails, slammed against a hard surface before being eaten starting from their heads. Twice a day it regurgitates a greyish ball of bones and other undigested remains. The nest is located at the bottom of a tunnel dug on sandy walls. The scientific term of the species comes from the Latin “alcedo”,which in turn comes from the Greek “halcyon”, referring to the myth of Alcyone, Aeolus’ son, Ceice’s bride: when Ceice guessed that her husband had drowned to death, she dived into the water to reach him. The gods had mercy on her and turned both into kingfishers.
