COMMON KINGFISHER. 341 



ALCEDO ISPIDA. 

 COMMON KINGFISHER. 



(PLATE 18.) 



Ispida ispida, Briss. Orn. iv. p. 471 (1760). 



Alcedo ispida, Linn, Syst. Nat, i. p. 179 (1766) ; et auctorum plurimorum 



Latham, Temminck, Naumann, Bonaparte, Newton, Dresser, &c. 

 Alcedo hispida, Tunst. Orn. Brit, p. 2 (1771). 

 Alcedo subispida, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 149 (1831). 

 Alcedo advena, Brehm, Vog. DeutscU. p. 150 (1831). 

 Alcedo pallasii, Reich. Handb. Alced. p. 3 (1851). 

 Alcedo sindiana, Hume, Stray Feath. i. p. 169 (1873). 



The Kingfisher is a resident on the banks of most lakes, rivers, and 

 brooks throughout the British Islands, except in the Outer Hebrides and 

 the extreme north of Scotland. It is somewhat common in the Channel 

 Islands ; but does not appear to have occurred on the Orkney or Shetland 

 Islands. 



The typical form of the Kingfisher has a comparatively restricted range, 

 being confined to the southern half of the Western Palaearctic Region, where 

 it varies in length of wing from 3'2 to 2*95 inch. In birds from Egypt, 

 Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia, Scind, Turkestan, and South-west Siberia the 

 wing only measures from 3'0 to 2*8 inch, and they have received the name 

 of Alcedo pallasii ; whilst in those from South-east Siberia, India, China, 

 Japan, and the Malay Archipelago the wing measures only from 2' 95 to 

 2'65 inch, a form which has received the name of A. bengalensis. The 

 typical form only occurs accidentally north of the Baltic, and has not been 

 known to breed regularly further north in any part of Europe than lat. 55. 

 It is a resident on the Canaries and Madeira ; and Loche says that it breeds 

 in Algeria and Morocco. In Egypt it is principally known as a winter 

 visitor. It is a resident throughout South Europe. 



Like most birds of brilliant plumage, the Kingfisher prefers a quiet and 

 secluded haunt. It loves the little trout-streams with wooded and preci- 

 pitous banks, the still ponds and small lakes, ornamental waters in parks, 

 where it is not molested, and the sides of sluggish rivers, drains, and mill- 

 ponds. It does not always frequent wooded districts ; if there is plenty of 

 underwood, stunted bushes, and brambles on the banks of a stream it is 

 quite content ; yet at other times it takes up its quarters on the banks of 

 a stream in a wooded dell where the tall trees meet overhead, and its 

 brilliant plumage flashes in the gloom. Here, in such a haunt, the bird 

 often flits past like an indistinct gleam of bluish light ; or the orni- 



