A high-pitched single note and a flash of blue low over the water may be the only signs of the kingfisher that people encounter.

The intensity and shade of blue depends on the brightness of the day, as well as the angle of the light on the feathers.

If you are lucky enough to see a kingfisher at perch and have a pair of binoculars with you, you’ll notice a quite small bird with an orange breast and white feathers on the cheek and chin, as well as shades ranging from brilliant turquoise to vivid electric and dark blues.

The all-black sharp-pointed bill indicates a male; black with an orange lower mandible will be the female.

Worldwide, there are over 90 species of kingfisher, on every continent except Antarctica, and they live in a range of habitats, including deserts and Arctic tundra.

The species of kingfisher that we have here is found throughout Great Britain and Europe.

It is a wetland species, generally seen at ponds and along rivers and their estuaries.

Kingfishers are well-known for diving underwater from waterside branches to catch fish, but they will also take a wide range of small animals including frogs, snails, crabs, spiders and worms.

Most of our kingfisher sightings are made between late summer, through autumn and winter to the middle of March, but they are shy birds and sensitive to disturbance.

They do breed on the Island, but there are few stretches of river which have suitable banks for excavating a burrow to build a nest.

The female lays up to seven eggs towards the end of April and it takes turns with the male to incubate for about 20 days.

Since 2020, the IW Ringing Group has caught kingfishers 169 times, representing 88 individuals, from five different sites.

Two of the ringed birds have been recovered from mainland sites, indicating that Island birds disperse widely. Their lifespan is thought to be up to ten years.

You can help contribute to our knowledge of the kingfisher on the Island by adding your sightings to a database that the IW Bird Recorder can access, such as iRecord at iRecord.org.uk

So, listen out for the high-pitched call and look out for a flash of blue skimming over the water when you are walking alongside our rivers and estuaries!

Thanks to George Rowing and the IW Ringing Group for details of sightings in recent years.

Column by Keith and Anne Marston