kingfisher

Everyday

1. A kingfisher is a small, brightly coloured bird with a big head and a long sharp beak that dives into water to catch fish. tree →
2. Some kingfishers, such as the Australian kookaburra, are large and catch lizards and insects on land. tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons in the UK and Ireland, the common kingfisher is a bright blue and orange river bird; seeing one is a special sighting. In Australia and New Zealand, kookaburras and sacred kingfishers are kinds of kingfisher. Engineers in Japan copied the kingfisher's beak shape to make a quieter, faster bullet train (biomimicry). Phrases: «a flash of blue», «kingfisher blue».

Examples

• A kingfisher dived into the river and caught a fish. tree →
• We saw a flash of blue — a kingfisher! tree →
• The kookaburra is a big kingfisher. tree →
• Kingfishers nest in tunnels in riverbanks. tree →
• The bullet train's nose was copied from a kingfisher's beak. tree →
• Kingfishers need clean rivers with lots of small fish. tree →

Note

Countable; one word. A kingfisher is not related to kings; the name means it is a very good «fisher».