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
Classification
Living or Extinct Taxonomic Rank Connections
Parent Taxon Of
Source Shining-blue kingfisher (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Brazil, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ8154335, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Kingfisher
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes.
Wikidata: Alcedinidae
Wikidata Q8154335, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Shining-blue kingfisher (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Shining-blue kingfisher, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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