ABOUT
About Common Kingfisher
About 17 cm long and weighing 19-40 g, a small kingfisher. The head and back have a glossy blue-green sheen and the underparts are a vivid orange, earning it the nickname "jewel of the water's edge." On Amami Oshima it is a year-round resident found along rivers, irrigation channels beside rice paddies, and ponds of many kinds. It watches the water from a perch on an overhanging branch or post, then plunges in to catch small fish or shrimp as soon as it spots one. Strongly territorial, it lives alone or in pairs and digs a tunnel nest into a riverbank or eroded slope. The breeding season runs from around March to August, and pairs may raise more than one brood; courtship includes the male passing a small fish to the female, known as courtship feeding, and the birds are especially active and easy to watch during this period. Unlike most of the birds on this site, it can be watched by daylight at the water's edge rather than in the night forest.
SAFETY
Observation Safety Notes
Please enjoy Amami's wildlife through photographs. Some species are protected by law or local ordinance, and capturing or removing them is prohibited. In special protection zones within the national park, collecting any wildlife is prohibited entirely. Please check the notes on this page, and confirm local rules before visiting any site.
Wild birds aren't something to catch and take home — they're best enjoyed by observing and photographing them without disturbing them. Keep a good distance, and avoid using playback calls or food to lure them in. Parent birds and chicks are especially sensitive while nesting or breeding; approaching too closely or making noise can cause the nest to be abandoned or the chicks to fail to fledge successfully. Avoid flash or strong lights when photographing at night, and don't share information online that could reveal a nest's exact location.
