Kingfishers are small brightly coloured birds and can be found in forests, near calm ponds and small rivers. Kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have a bright blue and orange plumage with only small differences between the sexes. They consume a wide range of prey (fish and small invertebrates) usually caught by swooping down from a perch. They nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. Kingfishers are amber listed because of their unfavourable conservation status in Europe. They are vulnerable to hard winters and habitat degradation due to pollution or unsympathetic management of watercourses.
For more info about kingfishers: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/kingfisher/
At Waldringfield these birds are usually seen perching near the reservoir, on the sluices or on boats near to the shore downriver from the dinghy park. Up-river they are more normally seen on trees near water and sluice gates near the Waller Reserve. They are tricky to catch sight of, but can be seen year round.’
