Kingfisher in length and between in weight. The largest kingfisher in Africa is the giant kingfisher ("Megaceryle maxima"), which is in length and in weight. The familiar Australian kingfisher known as the laughing kookaburra ("Dacelo novaeguineae") is the heaviest species with females reaching nearly in weight. The plumage of most kingfishers is bright, with green and blue being the most common colours. The brightness of the colours is neither the product of iridescence (except in the American kingfishers) or pigments, but is instead caused by the structure of the feathers, which causes scattering of blue light (the Tyndall effect). In most
Indigo-banded kingfisher into the water to catch its prey. Once caught, it returns the prey to the perch where it is beaten and swallowed. Little is known about its breeding behaviour, although it is known to nest in tunnels dug into the banks of streams and rivers. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. Indigo-banded kingfisher The indigo-banded kingfisher ("Ceyx cyanopectus") is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is a generally uncommon but locally common resident of the northern and central islands. There are