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The Kingfisher is for the most part not in the most danger from the point of view of conservation and India is lucky to be the home to 12 Kingfisher species. It is important to note though that while right now most are endangered, their numbers are declining. Acting now can stop the issue in the future. Here is a look at those 12 Kingfishers. Pied Kingfisher The Pied Kingfisher has a ‘least concern’ status with the IUCN redlist and its numbers are unknown. It is black and white, and one of the species that enjoys living in several types of habitats, rivers, grasslands, forests, coasts and mangroves. They search for food in small flocks over water and feed mostly on crustaceans, insects and fish. They do not need to go back to their perch to eat what they catch. Rufous-backed Kingfisher The Rufous-backed or Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher has a ‘least concern’ status on the IUCN redlist but its numbers are decreasing. These are colourful with yellow below and blue, purple and black above and then a red bill. They live in lowland and tropical forests along streams and rivers. They eat insects, frogs, wasps and lizards but only sometimes go fishing. White-throated Kingfisher Its IUCN redlist status is ‘least concern’ and its numbers are increasing which is good news for this bird of India. It has a white throat and brown head and lives near farms and water bodies. It does not feed on fish like other Kingfishers though, it hunts in wooded areas finding rodents, insects and reptiles. Black-capped Kingfisher This medium-sized kingfisher is at ‘least concern’ on the IUCN redlist but numbers are declining. It has a black head, rufous underneath and black and blue wings. It lives in mangrove forests, coastal areas and wetlands. It has also adapted to human gardens and farms. They eat mostly fish but will heat crustaceans, insects and lizards. Crested Kingfisher This bird has an IUCN redlist status of ‘least concern’ but its numbers are dropping. It has a prominent crest and black and white striations. It is the largest Kingfisher in India and is found mostly in the north of the country in particular in the Himalayan foothills. They eat amphibians, shrimp, fish and crab. Brown-winged Kingfisher Named because of its brown wings, this is one of the Kingfishers that needs help with an IUCN states of near threatened and numbers that are declining. It has an orange head and is orange underneath and a blue rear! They are find along the coast in mudflats, mangroves and tidal regions. They dive into water to catch food and eat mostly frigs, fish, shrimp and crab. White-collared Kingfishers Also called Collared Kingfishers they have a IUCN redlist status of ‘least concern’ but numbers are dropping. They are blue and white and live mainly in grasslands and forests though you can find them in shrublands, mangroves, marshlands and dry grassland. They perch to spot prey and eat worms, snails, insects, small fish and lizards. Stork-billed Kingfisher IUCN status is ‘least concern’ but again numbers are going down. It is a larger kingfisher with buff-coloured underparts a bright red bill and feet and then bright blue feathers. It lives in wetlands, forests, marine and freshwater locations and eats rodents, fish, frogs and crab. Small Blue Kingfisher Also known as the Common Kingfisher it has a IUCN redlist status of ‘least concern’ but its numbers in terms of improving or not is unclear. It has blue and orange feathers and lives in wetlands and grasslands close to slow or still water. They have a high pitched call and mostly eat fish. Blue-eared Kingfisher Also called the Malaysian Kingfisher this bird of India has a ‘least concern’ status on the IUCN redlist but its numbers are decreasing. It looks a lot like the Common Kingfisher but for its blue stripes on its ears. Males have a white lower mandible and females have a reddish one. They are a mix of blue and red and live in subtropical lowland and tropical forests. They eat mostly water insects and small fish. Ruddy Kingfisher Numbers are decreasing and its IUCN is ‘least concern’ it is a medium-sized bird with a red appearance and it is mainly seen in the North East of India. It prefers temperate forests and mangroves and eats beetles, dragonflies and grasshoppers. Blyth’s Kingfisher This bird has a status of ‘near threatened’ and its numbers continue to decline. It is a rare kingfisher seen mostly in the northeast India. It has black-brown colouring with some blue specks and long and flat beaks. It prefers evergreen forests and wetlands inland and eats mostly fish. The reason for its status is the destruction of its habitat and the pollution of the water.
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