Urban birds at Hull. 38. Kingfisher

 

The Kingfisher is a stunning bird, most often seen like a fast, straight flying turquoise blurr as they fly along water bodies. Both sexes show an orange chest and belly, a metallic blue on back, head and wings, and white markings on cheeks, and chin. The rump is pale blue. Males have all black bills, while females have an orange lower bill. Their diet is made of small fish or fish fry, like sticklebacks and tadpoles. They are not strictly migratory, but they engage in short distance movements, including across the North Sea, with individuals moving to and from France, the Low Countries and Germany. Kingfishers breed in holes they excavate on banks of rivers and streams.

29/06/2021, Beverley and Barmston drain at Sculcoates.

Status and distribution in Hull

They are scarce bird in the Hull area, although, with a bit of luck and patience, they can probably be seen at any lake or ditch, and by the River Hull and the Humber. Their repeated, urgent piping call usually announces their presence. Known sites include East Park (top shot, 9/08/2022), Pickering Park, Setting Dyke, River Hull, Holderness Drain, Beverley and Barmston Drain, Foredyke Green Pond, Old Fleet and even by the Humber. Kingfishers may breed in a few of these locations regularly, for example, at Holderness Drain or East Park, but as far as I know there is no solid recent breeding evidence. They appear more widely distributed, and are more likely to be seen during the autumn winter, after the young disperse to find new territories.

At a ditch at East Carr, 7/02/2022.

At East Park, 14/11/2016.

River Hull, on a barge near Wilmington Bridge, 13/10/2024.

Conservation

In 2021 it was moved from the UK Amber list to the Green list, as populations recovered from declines until the mid 1980s. It suffers from severe winters and icy conditions, when they are unable to fish, but they have a strong potential for recovery

More information

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.

Stanbury, A., Eaton, M., Aebischer, N., Balmer, D. & Win, I. The status of our bird populations:the fifth Birds of Conservation Concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man and second IUCN Red List assessment of extinction risk for Great Britain. British Birds 114, 723–747 (2021).

BTO Bird Facts. Kingfisher.