Alcedinidae is the kingfisher family, small to medium sized brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes, comprising 118 species across three subfamilies and 19 genera. Most species live in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Oceania, though the family also occurs in Europe and the Americas. Kingfishers have large heads, long sharp pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails, and their vivid green and blue coloration comes from the structure of their feathers rather than pigments, except in American kingfishers where it is produced by iridescence. Despite the common association with water, over half of all kingfisher species live in forests and forested streams rather than near open water.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Sources
1. Wikipedia: Kingfisher
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes.
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