Ringed Kingfisher

The Ringed Kingfisher is a bold, fish-eating species found year-round along Ecuador’s rivers, lakes, and estuarine margins, especially in lowland and foothill zones where clear water and exposed perches are abundant. It is locally common and conspicuous, often seen perched on branches or wires before plunging headfirst to snatch fish or crustaceans from the shallows. Globally listed as Least Concern, its population remains stable across its broad Neotropical range, including Ecuador’s Amazon, coastal, and inter-Andean regions. Nesting occurs in deep burrows excavated into earthen riverbanks, with both sexes sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties in these secluded chambers.