Common kingfisher

The common kingfisher is widely distributed across Eurasia and North Africa, staying near slow-moving or still freshwater. It is typically found along the banks of rivers, lakes, canals, and ponds that are clear enough for hunting and surrounded by overhanging trees or reeds. For nesting, it requires vertical earthen banks where it can excavate deep burrows.

It is widespread across Ukraine, particularly in Polissya and the Forest-Steppe river valleys. While southern populations often remain year-round, northern and eastern birds are partially migratory, moving toward the Mediterranean or seeking non-freezing rivers during harsh winters.

Its diet consists primarily of small fish. It also consumes aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and occasionally tadpoles. The kingfisher is a precision hunter, diving from a perch or hovering briefly before plunging into the water.