The Kingfisher
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The Kingfisher is one of our most colourful and dramatic looking birds. While they can be seen in rivers and lakes in Northern Ireland, their low rapid flight often results in a blur of iridescent blue as they flash by.
As the name suggests, they hunt mainly for fish from riverside perches or on occasion by hovering over the water's surface. These include minnows and sticklebacks but they will also eat other aquatic insects and even tadpoles.
Kingfishers are very short-lived and often there numbers suffer badly after a severe winter where they die from the cold or lack of food. Because the fish they feed on are susceptible to pollution the presence of Kingfishers is a good indication of a healthy stretch of water.
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