Azure Kingfishers are small, colourful ‘perch-and-pounce’ predators. They are a distinctive waterside kingfisher with striking blue upperparts and orange-rufous underparts, a long strong black bill, red feet and a short squat tail. Males and females are similar in appearance.
Elusive birds, they are commonly found along well-vegetated rivers and creeks and shaded areas beside lakes, dams and wetlands. They patrol the waterways from perch to perch, flying low and fast above the water sometimes with a high-pitched ‘pee-ee pee-ee’ whistle as they plunge-dive headfirst for fish and other swimming prey. It can be hard to spot a shy Azure Kingfisher perched quietly in shady overhanging foliage until they suddenly plunge for prey, making a splash before returning with their catch, often bashing it against the perch before swallowing it headfirst. It is always an exciting moment for birdwatchers when they spot an Azure Kingfisher, and if they are lucky, to photograph the colourful spectacle.
Azure Kingfishers are found across northern and eastern Australia. They are widespread east of the Great Dividing Range to the Victorian border and south into Victoria and Tasmania. Breeding season is from September to January with monogamous pairs defending their breeding territory. They build their nest in a burrow dug into a riverbank and both parents incubate and feed the chicks.
Degraded natural environments present challenges to Azure Kingfisher habitat. For example, stock trampling vegetation around waterways reduces perch sites and muddies the water; human activities that cause artificial flooding can drown nests; European Carp competing for food can adversely affect local populations.
