Sacred Kingfisher (Kotare) Facts & Info

Shimmering blue-green, the Kotare is a fearsome hunter.

The Kotare is native to New Zealand, and one of Aotearoa’s most striking garden visitors. With a shimmering blue-green plumage and a sharp beak made for hunting, they are as elegant as they are efficient.

Popular across Aotearoa’s in coastal, rural and suburban areas, you'll often see them perched very still on a branch or power line, where they will be scanning the area for prey.

They are fearsome hunters and can fly very fast using a mixture of rapid shallow wing beats and fast glides. They can also dive fast up to 1 meter in water to hunt.

What do Sacred Kingfishers look like?

The Sacred Kingfisher is a distant relative of the Australian Kookaburra, hence its distinctive shape and chunky bill. It stands at around 23cm and features a beautiful green-blue head and back, which merge to yellow on the underside, and a white throat. They have dark brown eyes with a black ring around them and pretty white eyelashes.

What do Sacred Kingfishers eat?

Despite their name, Sacred Kingfishers don't just eat fish, they feast on a variety of creatures including Lizards, insects, spiders, crabs, mice and even small birds. They can be a menace for anyone who keeps pond fish!

Once caught, they will bash their victim to death and pulverise them so they can swallow them whole. Anything that they can't digest is regurgitated in pellets at a later date.

How do Sacred Kingfishers nest?

Sacred Kingfishers nest in tree cavities or burrows they dig themselves. They start the burrow off by flying directly at their chosen location head on and stabbing it with their hard beak. They continue to do this until they have created a fairly large hole, then they dig out a tunnel with their claws and bill. At the end of the tunnel, they will make a nesting chamber that they leave bare.

They are extremely protective of their nesting sites and will dive bomb other birds and mammals who get too close.

What does a Sacred Kingfisher sound like?

The Sacred Kingfisher doesn't have a beautiful singing voice. The male tends to have a shrill loud kek-kek-kek that it sings on repeat. The female doesn’t sing, but will communicate with their mate with short ker noises.