Birds by Name – K

Kestrel

The Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae.

The Kestrel is mainly light brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside. It has pointed wings and long tail and is a familiar site hovering above roadside verges, although it is quite at home in urban as well as woodland areas.

They eat other birds and small mammals.

Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: F. tinnunculus

Kingfisher

Kingfishers are small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. The group is treated either as a single family, Alcedinidae, or as a suborder Alcedines containing three families, Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water kingfishers)

There are around 90 species of Kingfisher and all have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most  have bright plumage, blues and oranges, with little differences between the sexes.

As well as fish, Kingfishers also eat a variety of aquatic insects. They are usually found near still or slow moving water and generally swoop down from a perch to catch their food. They then return to the perch to eat, often beating larger items on the perch to make them more manageable.

Order: Coraciiformes
Suborder: Alcedines
Families: Alcedinidae, Halcyonidae, Cerylidae