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Common Kingfishers are small kingfishers. The plumage on the back is glossy. The crown, sides of the head, nape of the neck and wings are vermiculated turquoise-blue to greyish-blue, depending on race. The back and uppertail are light-blue. Below orange ear coverts and lores, they show a grey chin, flanked by consecutive white, turquoise-blue/greyish-blue and white malar stripes. The entire front, from below the chin, and sides are bright-orange. The irises are black. The disproportionately long, strong bill is dark-grey on top and brownish-grey elsewhere. The very short, stumpy legs are bright reddish-brown to red.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Common Kingfisher is available HERE .

There are about 12 recognized races of Common Kingfishers. Their overall distribution is wide-ranging, from western Europe and North-west Africa in the West via central, southern and south-eastern Europe into Asia Minor and the Middle East, parts of central Asia and on via South-east Asia to north-eastern China, south-eastern Russia, Korea and Japan in the East (for details see, e.g., Wikipedia. They are also present on most islands of south-eastern Asia that do not form part of the Australian/New Guinean landmass, although there is also a race of Common Kingfisher in eastern New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

In Arabia Common Kingfishers, nominate race "atthis", are found as winter visitors in a wide strip along the North coast from southern Iraq and Kuwait through western Saudi Arabia, the UAE and into northern Oman, just short of the eastern cape.

During the breeding season Common Kingfishers have a preference for habitats around slow-flowing fresh water with suitable steep banks for nesting. Outside the breeding season especially the migratory birds will disperse into a wider range of aquatic habitats.

Race "atthis"