The **Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus)** is a small, brilliantly colored bird native to Australia and parts of New Guinea. This striking bird is known for its vibrant plumage, with a deep azure-blue back, wings, and tail, contrasting with a bright orange belly and throat.

It has a long, slender bill that is perfectly adapted for catching fish, its primary food source. The Azure Kingfisher is typically found along the edges of rivers, lakes, and streams, where it perches quietly on low branches or reeds, waiting to spot its next meal.

This kingfisher’s hunting technique is both patient and precise. It watches the water carefully for small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects, which make up the bulk of its diet.

Once it spots its prey, the Azure Kingfisher dives swiftly into the water, often emerging with a fish held tightly in its beak. The bird then returns to its perch, where it may beat the prey against a branch before swallowing it whole.

This efficient hunting style, combined with its excellent eyesight, makes the Azure Kingfisher a formidable predator in its aquatic environment.