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BTO Blueline
KINGFISHER
Alcedo atthis
 

• Population
  changes

• Productivity
  trends

• Additional
  information
Conservation listings
Europe: SPEC category 3, depleted
UK: amber (European status)
Long-term trend
UK: fluctuating, with no long-term trend
UK population size
4,800–8,000 pairs in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using WBS trend: BiE04, APEP06)
Status summary
The Kingfisher declined along linear waterways (its principal habitat) until the mid 1980s, since when it seems to have made a complete recovery. The decline was associated with a contraction of range in England (Gibbons et al. 1993). Kingfishers suffer severe mortality during harsh winters but, with up to three broods in a season, and up to six chicks in a brood, their potential for rapid population growth is unusually high. Amber listing of this species in the UK results from its 'depleted' status in Europe as a whole, following declines between 1970 and 1990 (BirdLife International 2004).
 

Population changes
WBS UK graph
 
Table of population changes for Kingfisher

Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
WBS waterways 31 1975-2006 32 7 -34 84    
  25 1981-2006 32 66 18 170    
  10 1996-2006 35 22 1 86    
  5 2001-2006 33 14 -1 44    
BBS UK 11 1995-2006 51 14 -13 44    
  10 1996-2006 52 21 -8 47    
  5 2001-2006 62 2 -22 26    
BBS England 11 1995-2006 44 17 -11 58    
  10 1996-2006 45 24 -5 58    
  5 2001-2006 54 15 -9 40    

BBS acknowledgement
 
BBS UK graph
BBS England graph
 

Productivity trends
Productivity information is not currently available for this species
 

Additional information
 
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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G.,
Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009).
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008.
BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009