Malachite kingfisher Malachite kingfisher The malachite kingfisher ("Corythornis cristatus") is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. The malachite kingfisher was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name "Alcedo cristata". The specific epithet "cristata" is from the Latin "cristatus" meaning "crested" or "plumed". The adjective "malachite" in the vernacular name normally refers to the dark green colour of the copper containing mineral. This kingfisher has blue upperparts but has black banding with pale blue or greenish-blue on its forehead.
The Malachite Box them so popular among the adult readers. They were exceptionally popular during the Great Patriotic War. The paperbacks were sent to the front line. The author received fan mail from the soldiers who asked to send them the book. The publication attracted a large number of folklorists, who collected tales near Sysert since 1940s and long after Pavel Bazhov's death. The characters of the Ural Mountains folklore such as the Mistress of the Copper Mountain became very well known after their appearance in Bazhov's "The Malachite Box". Sysert's old coat of arms (1982–2002) featured the Mistress as a lizard with