The Pied Kingfisher is a common species of kingfisher found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. It can be found from Turkey to India and China.
The Pied Kingfisher is an excellent hunter, skilled at hovering over the water and diving down bill first directly below to catch a fish. It has learned to eat its prey in flight and can hunt in both salt and freshwater. This allows the bird to hunt over sea or other places without perches, something that other kingfishers cannot do.
The natural range of the Pied Kingfisher is very large; the species has a conservation status of Least Concern as of September 2014.
