kingfisher

king·fish·er

K0068400 (kĭng′fĭsh′ər)n. Any of various birds of the family Alcedinidae, characteristically having a crested head, a long stout beak, a short tail, and brilliant coloration.

kingfisher

(ˈkɪŋˌfɪʃə) n (Animals) any coraciiform bird of the family Alcedinidae, esp the Eurasian Alcedo atthis, which has a greenish-blue and orange plumage. Kingfishers have a large head, short tail, and long sharp bill and tend to live near open water and feed on fish[C15: originally king's fisher]

king•fish•er

(ˈkɪŋˌfɪʃ ər)

n. any of various usu. brightly colored birds of the family Alcedinidae, of worldwide distribution, with large heads and robust bills: many dive for fish. [1400–50]

Thesaurus

Noun

kingfisher - nonpasserine large-headed bird with a short tail and long sharp bill; usually crested and bright-colored; feed mostly on fishcoraciiform bird - chiefly short-legged arboreal nonpasserine birds that nest in holesAlcedinidae, family Alcedinidae - kingfishersAlcedo atthis, Eurasian kingfisher - small kingfisher with greenish-blue and orange plumagebelted kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon - greyish-blue North American kingfisher with a chestnut band on its chestDacelo gigas, kookaburra, laughing jackass - Australian kingfisher having a loud cackling cry

Translations

翠鸟

king

(kiŋ) noun1. a male ruler of a nation, who inherits his position by right of birth. He became king when his father died; King Charles III.国王2. the playing-card with the picture of a king. I have two cards – the ten of spades and the king of diamonds. （纸牌的）老K 3. the most important piece in chess. 王棋ˈkingdom noun1. a state having a king (or queen) as its head. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; He rules over a large kingdom.王国2. any of the three great divisions of natural objects. the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. 界（生物的三大分界） ˈkingly adjective of, relating to, or suitable for a king. kingly robes; a kingly feast. 国王的，适于君主身份的 ˈkingliness noun 国王，君主，君王的威严 ˈkingfisher noun a type of bird with brilliant blue feathers which feeds on fish. 翠鸟ˈking-size(d) adjective of a large size; larger than normal. a king-size(d) bed; king-size cigarettes.特大的

kingfisher

→ 翠鸟zhCN

kingfisher

kingfisher,

common name for members of the family Alcedinidae, essentially tropical and subtropical land birds, related to the bee-eatersbee-eater,
any of the brightly colored, insect-eating birds of the family Meropidae. They range in length from 6 to 14 in. (15–36 cm). The plumage of many species is predominantly green but usually includes a variety of other bright colors.
..... Click the link for more information. , rollersroller,
common name for brightly colored Old World birds noted for performing somersaults in flight. They include the rollers proper (subfamily Coraciinae) and ground rollers (subfamily Brachypteraciinae; sometimes considered a separate family, Brachypteraciidae) of the family
..... Click the link for more information. , and todiestody
, common name for small (3–4 in./9–10 cm) West Indian birds of the family Todidae, comprising the single genus Todus. Bright green above with red throats, they are forest birds called robins by Jamaicans, although not related to the robin.
..... Click the link for more information. . Kingfishers have chunky bodies, short necks and tails, large heads with erectile crests, and strong, long beaks. Most kingfishers are carnivorous. The family is divided into three subfamilies, the river, tree, and water kingfishers (which some authorities considered to be separate families); the American species being in the last.

The common eastern American belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon, perches above the banks of freshwater streams and dives for small fish, crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic insects, returning to its perch to eat. It is 12 to 14 in. (30–35 cm) long, blue-gray above and white beneath; the female has chestnut breast markings. The Texas kingfisher is green above, has no crest, and is smaller (8 in./20 cm). Of the forest kingfishers, the best known is the Australian kookaburrakookaburra
, common name for a squat, long-tailed Australian kingfisher, Dacelo novaeguineae. It is one of the largest birds of the family Alcedinidae (kingfisher family).
..... Click the link for more information. , famous for its laughing cry and valued as a destroyer of harmful snakes and lizards.

River and water kingfishers nest in deep burrows dug out along streams. The burrows may extend up to 10 ft (300 cm) vertically, and from five to eight eggs are laid in the chamber rounded out at the end of the tunnel. Both male and female share the incubation duties. Many forest kingfishers nest in the same fashion as the river and water kingfishers, but some, e.g., the kookaburra, never go near the water and nest in trees.

Kingfishers are classified in the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Coraciiformes, family Alcedinidae.

kingfisher

[′kiŋ‚fish·ər] (vertebrate zoology) The common name for members of the avian family Alcedinidae; most are tropical Old World species characterized by short legs, long bills, bright plumage, and short wings.

kingfisher

any coraciiform bird of the family Alcedinidae, esp the Eurasian Alcedo atthis, which has a greenish-blue and orange plumage. Kingfishers have a large head, short tail, and long sharp bill and tend to live near open water and feed on fish

kingfisher

king·fish·er

kingfisher

king•fish•er

king

kingfisher

kingfisher

kingfisher,

kingfisher

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kingfisher

Words related to kingfisher

noun nonpasserine large-headed bird with a short tail and long sharp bill

Related Words