(Photo: Ruth King)

This beautiful, highly charismatic bird is one of the most well-loved and iconic river species in the UK. It can be seen on rivers throughout the Stour Catchment, but many sightings are just a flash of orange and iridescent blue, as the kingfisher flies past at high speed. Kingfishers are highly skilled hunters of small fish, which they catch by diving from riverside perches; amazingly they are able to compensate for the refraction of the water in hitting their target. They live in burrow-like nests in river banks. Happily, they are not of conservation concern, but the work of organisations like KSCP is important to ensure that populations stay healthy, by maintaining rivers as good habitat for their fish prey.