Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks September to November · Kingfishers · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Kingfisher has been recorded in 1,826 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (61%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in September to November.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 20% or more of visits
- High
- 8% to 20%
- Moderate
- 3% to 8%
- Low
- under 3%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 5% | Low |
| February | 45% | 4% | Moderate |
| March | 44% | 4% | Low |
| April | 31% | 3% | Low |
| May | 33% | 3% | Low |
| June | 33% | 3% | Very high |
| July | 51% | 5% | Very high |
| August | 79% | 7% | Very high |
| September | 100% | 9% | Very high |
| October | 92% | 8% | Very high |
| November | 92% | 8% | Very high |
| December | 74% | 7% | High |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in September
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C41 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C83 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C91 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D22 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H24 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H47 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J05 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J16 | Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J26 | Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J47 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |