32 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 
Family—ALCEDINID. 
THE KINGFISHER. 
Alcedo ispida, LINN. 
N Europe our Kingfisher rarely breeds north of lat. 55°, though it has been 
accidentally found breeding once in southern Scandinavia; in Russia it 
rarely straggles as far north as St. Petersburg, and to Denmark it is only a 
visitor; southwards, however, it breeds throughout Europe, occurring in suitable 
localities down to the Mediterranean; is resident in the Canaries, and Madeira, 
and is said to breed in Algeria and Morocco; it also winters in Egypt. Races 
of our species, differing chiefly in size and length of wing, have been separated 
under the names of A. padlaszz and A. bengalensts. 
Generally distributed in suitable localities throughout the British Islands, 
though rare in Sutherlandshire, and not occurring in the extreme north of Scotland 
including the Orkneys and Shetlands, or in the Outer Hebrides. In Ireland it 
is said to occur most frequently in the lowland districts. 
The adult male Kingfisher has the crown and nape blue-black, each feather 
barred with variable emerald green changing to cobalt; back, rump, and upper 
tail-coverts glossy cobalt-blue, greenish in certain lights; tail indigo blue, the 
outermost feathers greenish; wing-coverts dull deep green, spotted with greenish 
cobalt; primaries black, mostly bluish along the outer web; lores and ear-coverts 
chestnut, a patch of buffish-white tipped with chestnut at side of neck; a broad 
variable greenish-blue moustachial streak, with bright blue shaft-streaks to the 
feathers; chin and throat buffish-white, shading into the chestnut of the under 
parts on the fore-chest; under wing-coverts paler chestnut; quills below ashy-grey ; 
bill black, orange at base; feet salmon red; iris dark brown. The female is 
rather duller and greener than the male. The young are paler and somewhat 
brownish; breast browner, with greyish bars; bill entirely black; feet brown. 
The haunts of the Kingfisher are rivers, streams, drains, ornamental waters, 
lakes, reservoirs, pools, and ponds, the preference being given to such as are fringed 
by brushwood, trees, and brambles; though one autumn I saw two Kingfishers 
sailing to and fro over the open reservoirs at Battersea; probably they did not 
long remain there, for on the evening of the same day I saw either one of the 
