You just saw a little bird flying, bright blue, in a tight line, probably right over the water? Then there’s no doubt, today is your lucky day, you saw a kingfisher!

Despite the fact that a kingfisher is not very common, kingfishers have been seen more and more in recent years. The main reason for this is the fact that the number has increased a lot. Especially the mild winters of recent years have contributed to this.

How sure is it that I’ve seen a kingfisher?

A kingfisher can be distinguished by a few characteristics. First of all, the unmistakable bright blue color, which certainly stands out in sunlight and in flight. There is no other wild bird in the Netherlands that has such a color. However, a kingfisher in the shade will not always show its beautiful colors and therefore hardly stand out. The flight, which is fast, straight and usually flat over the water surface, is also characteristic. You often see them flying from a perch near the water about 20 meters in front of you.

More information about these beautiful birds can be found in the menu at the top right, under the dashes.

Kingfisher.land is an initiative of Dutch naturephotographer and kingfisher enthusiast Corné van Oosterhout. In 2018 a dream came true and I was able to buy a house near a lake. The garden is being set up to study kingfishers, so I have already been able to collect interesting data about their metabolism and weight.

As I’m not a native English speaking person, I did my best to translate my Dutch website to an English version to share my knowledge. If you see anything that can be improved, feel free to let me know.