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
Ringed kingfisher Ringed kingfisher The ringed kingfisher ("Megaceryle torquata") is a large, conspicuous and noisy kingfisher bird commonly found along the lower Rio Grande valley in southeasternmost Texas in the United States through Central America to Tierra del Fuego in South America. The Ringed Kingfisher ("Megaceryle torquata") is a Neotropical kingfisher that lives in habitats ranging between the USA and Mexico. In 1888, the species was first discovered in the USA, while the first Ringed Kingfisher nest was found in 1970. They are commonly seen along the Rio Grande and in waterbodies in southern Texas. Their distribution is increasing and expanding upwards.