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62-402: Alkyóne comes from alkyón ( ἀλκυών ), which refers to a sea-bird with a mournful song or to a kingfisher bird in particular. The meaning(s) of the words is uncertain because alkyón is considered to be of pre- Greek , non- Indo-European origin. However, folk etymology related them to the háls ( ἅλς , "brine, sea, salt") and kyéo ( κυέω , "I conceive"). Alkyóne originally is written with

124-536: A smooth breathing mark, but this false origin beginning with a rough breathing mark (transliterated as the letter H) led to the common misspellings halkyón ( ἁλκυών ) and Halkyóne ( Ἁλκυόνη ), and thus the name of one of the kingfisher bird genus ' in English Halcyon . It is also speculated that Alkyóne is derived from alké ( ἀλκή , "prowess, battle, guard") and onéo ( ὀνέω , from ὀνίνεμι , onínemi , "to help, to please"). Kéyx as referring to

186-474: A bird flying away shows an electric-blue "flash" down its back. In North Africa, Europe and Asia north of the Himalayas , this is the only small blue kingfisher. In south and southeast Asia, it can be confused with six other small blue-and-rufous kingfishers, but the rufous ear patches distinguish it from all but juvenile blue-eared kingfishers ; details of the head pattern may be necessary to differentiate

248-464: A bird will grab the other's beak and try to hold it underwater. Pairs form in the autumn but each bird retains a separate territory, generally at least 1 km ( 1 ⁄ 2  mi) long, but up to 3.5 km ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4  mi) and territories are not merged until the spring. The courtship is initiated by the male chasing the female while calling continually, and later by ritual feeding, with copulation usually following. The nest

310-400: A black bill with some red at the base. The legs and feet are bright red. It is about 16 cm ( 6 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) long with a wingspan of 25 cm (10 in), and weighs 34–46 g ( 1 + 3 ⁄ 16 – 1 + 5 ⁄ 8  oz). The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to

372-533: A professor at Trinity College Dublin , though this theory "is nowadays used as the default explanation for the choice of 25 December as Christ's birthday, few advocates of this theory seem to be aware of how paltry the available evidence actually is." In Anglo-Saxon England the winter solstice was generally deemed to be December 25, and in Old English , midwinter could mean both the winter solstice and Christmas . The North Germanic peoples celebrated

434-546: A scholiast on Virgil's Georgics , notes that Ovid followed Nicander 's version of the tale, instead of Theodorus's starring another Alcyone . Virgil in the Georgics also alludes to the myth—again without reference to Zeus's anger. It is possible that the earlier myth was a simpler version of the one by Nicander, where a woman named Alcyone mourned her unnamed husband; Ceyx was probably added later due to him being an important figure in mythology and poetry, and also having

496-479: A sea-bird appears to be related to kaúax ( καύαξ ), which is a ravenous sea-bird ( λάρος , láros ). These suggest that Kéyx may have been turned into either a sea mew or a tern . Alcyone was a Thessalian princess, the daughter of King Aeolus of Aeolia, either by Enarete or Aegiale . She was the sister of Salmoneus , Athamas , Sisyphus , Cretheus , Perieres , Deioneus , Magnes , Calyce , Canace , Pisidice and Perimede . Later on, Alcyone became

558-457: A significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rites . It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun; the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again. Some ancient monuments such as Newgrange , Stonehenge , Cahokia Woodhenge , and Ahu Tongariki are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice. There is evidence that

620-419: A thing of the past. The common kingfisher hunts from a perch 1–2 m (3–7 ft) above the water, on a branch, post or riverbank, bill pointing down as it searches for prey. It bobs its head when food is detected to gauge the distance and plunges steeply down to seize its prey usually no deeper than 25 cm (10 in) below the surface. The wings are opened underwater and the open eyes are protected by

682-419: A thunderbolt. Soon after, Morpheus , the god of dreams, disguised as Ceyx, appeared to Alcyone to tell her of her husband's fate. In her grief she threw herself into the sea. Out of compassion, the gods changed them both into "halcyon birds" ( common kingfishers ), named after her. Apollodorus says that Ceyx was turned into a gannet , and not a kingfisher. Ovid and Hyginus both also recount the metamorphosis of

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744-406: A week or two. Most kingfishers die of cold or lack of food, and a severe winter can kill a high percentage of the birds. Summer floods can destroy nests or make fishing difficult, resulting in starvation of the brood. Only a quarter of the young survive to breed the following year, but this is enough to maintain the population. Likewise, only a quarter of adult birds survive from one breeding season to

806-468: A wife whose name was Alcyone (as evidenced from the Hesiodic poem Wedding of Ceyx ). Ovid and Hyginus both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the term " halcyon days ", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally the 14 days each year (seven days on either side of the shortest day of the year ) during which Alcyone (as a kingfisher ) made her nest on

868-730: A winter holiday called Yule . The Heimskringla , written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson , describes a Yule feast hosted by the Norwegian king Haakon the Good (c. 920–961). According to Snorri, the Christian Haakon had moved Yule from "midwinter" and aligned it with the Christian Christmas celebration. Historically, this has made some scholars believe that Yule originally

930-605: Is a festival day in the Hindu calendar , in reference to deity Surya (sun). It is observed each year in January. It marks the first day of Sun's transit into Makara (Capricorn) , marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. Iranian people celebrate the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice as, " Yalda night ", which is known to be the "longest and darkest night of

992-405: Is also used synonymously with the winter solstice, although it carries other meanings as well. Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter; although today in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of winter. Other names are the "extreme of winter" ( Dongzhi ), or the "shortest day". Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been

1054-474: Is celebrated between December 22 and January 6. Buzmi is a ritualistic piece of wood (or several pieces of wood) that is put to burn in the fire ( zjarri ) of the hearth ( vatër ) on the night of a winter celebration that falls after the return of the Sun for summer (after the winter solstice), sometimes on the night of Kërshëndella on December 24 ( Christmas Eve ), sometimes on the night of kolendra , or sometimes on New Year's Day or on any other occasion aound

1116-587: Is in a burrow excavated by both birds of the pair in a low vertical riverbank, or sometimes a quarry or other cutting. The straight, gently inclining burrow is normally 60–90 cm (25–35 in) long and ends in an enlarged chamber. The nest cavity is unlined but soon accumulates a litter of fish remains and cast pellets . The common kingfisher typically lays two to ten glossy white eggs, which average 1.9 cm ( 3 ⁄ 4  in) in breadth, 2.2 cm ( 7 ⁄ 8  in) in length, and weigh about 4.3 g ( 5 ⁄ 32  oz), of which 5%

1178-596: Is mainly fish up to 12.5 cm (5 in) long, but the average size is 2.3 cm ( 7 ⁄ 8  in). In Central Europe, 97% of the diet was found to be composed of fish ranging in size from 2 to 10 cm with an average of 6.5 cm (body mass range from <0.1 g to >10 g, average 3 g). Minnows , sticklebacks , small roach and trout are typical prey. About 60% of food items are fish, but this kingfisher also catches aquatic insects such as dragonfly larvae and water beetles , and, in winter, crustaceans including freshwater shrimps. Amphibians such as

1240-425: Is more coastal, often feeding in estuaries or harbours and along rocky seashores. Tropical populations are found by slow-flowing rivers, in mangrove creeks and in swamps. Common kingfishers are important members of ecosystems and good indicators of freshwater community health. The highest densities of breeding birds are found in habitats with clear water, which permits optimal prey visibility, and trees or shrubs on

1302-400: Is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter. This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at

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1364-436: Is shell. Both sexes incubate by day, but only the female incubates at night. An incubating bird sits trance-like, facing the tunnel; it invariably casts a pellet, breaking it up with the bill. The eggs hatch in 19–20 days, one or two eggs in most clutches fail to do so because the parent cannot cover them prior. The altricial young are in the nest for a further 24–25 days, often more. Once large enough, young birds will come to

1426-471: Is the cerulean kingfisher that has white underparts and is found in parts of Indonesia. This species has the typical short-tailed, dumpy-bodied, large-headed, and long-billed kingfisher shape. The adult male of the western European subspecies, A. a. ispida has green-blue upperparts with pale azure-blue back and rump, a rufous patch by the bill base, and a rufous ear-patch. It has a green-blue neck stripe, white neck blaze and throat, rufous underparts, and

1488-589: Is the summer solstice . The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere's winter . In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (December 21, December 22, or December 23) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (June 20, June 21, or June 22). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term also refers to the day on which it occurs. The term midwinter

1550-458: Is the area of the retina with the greatest density of light receptors), and a kingfisher can switch from the main central fovea to the auxiliary fovea when it enters water; a retinal streak of high receptor density which connects the two foveae allows the image to swing temporally as the bird drops onto the prey. The egg-shaped lens of the eye points towards the auxiliary fovea, enabling the bird to maintain visual acuity underwater. Because of

1612-584: The Saturnalia (December 17–23), Rome's most joyous holiday season since Republican times, characterized by parties, banquets, and exchanges of gifts". A widely-held theory is that the Church chose December 25 as Christ's birthday ( Dies Natalis Christi ) to appropriate the Roman winter solstice festival marking the sun god's birthday ( Dies Natalis Solis Invicti ). According to C. Philipp E. Nothaft,

1674-450: The Sun . This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern ). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, and when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. Each polar region experiences continuous darkness or twilight around its winter solstice. The opposite event

1736-742: The Wallace Line have the bluest upperparts and partly blue ear-patches. The common kingfisher is widely distributed over Europe, Asia, and North Africa, mainly south of 60°N. It is a common breeding species over much of its vast Eurasian range, but in North Africa it is mainly a winter visitor, although it is a scarce breeding resident in coastal Morocco and Tunisia . In temperate regions, this kingfisher inhabits clear, slow-flowing streams and rivers, and lakes with well-vegetated banks. It frequents scrubs and bushes with overhanging branches close to shallow open water in which it hunts. In winter it

1798-632: The talmudic hypothesis that Adam first established the tradition of fasting before the winter solstice , and rejoicing afterward, which festival later developed into the Roman Saturnalia and Kalendae . When the First Man saw that the day was continuously shortening, he said, "Woe is me! Because I have sinned, the world darkens around me, and returns to formlessless and void. This is the death to which Heaven has sentenced me!" He decided to spend eight days in fasting and prayer. When he saw

1860-729: The Elder , alcyonei ( -nĭī ) diēs in Columella and Varro , alcyonia in Hyginus , and alcedonia in Plautus and Frontinus . Common kingfisher Gracula atthis Linnaeus, 1758 The common kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher , is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa . It

1922-450: The adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black. Feathers are moulted gradually between July and November with the main flight feathers taking 90–100 days to moult and regrow. Some that moult late may suspend their moult during cold winter weather. The flight of the kingfisher is fast, direct and usually low over water. The short, rounded wings whirr rapidly, and

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1984-404: The angular diameter of the Sun. Observing that it occurred within a two-day period is easier, requiring an observation precision of only about 1/16 of the angular diameter of the Sun. Thus, many observations are of the day of the solstice rather than the instant. This is often done by observing sunrise and sunset or using an astronomically aligned instrument that allows a ray of light to be cast on

2046-430: The banks. These habitats have also the highest quality of water, so the presence of this bird confirms the standard of the water. Measures to improve water flow can disrupt this habitat, and in particular, the replacement of natural banks by artificial confinement greatly reduces the populations of fish, amphibians and aquatic reptiles, and waterside birds are lost. It can tolerate a certain degree of urbanisation, provided

2108-408: The beach and laid her eggs while her father Aeolus , the god of the winds, helped her do so safely by restraining the winds and thus calming the waves. The phrase has since come to refer to any peaceful time. Its proper meaning, however, is that of a lucky break, or a bright interval set in the midst of adversity; just as the days of calm and mild weather are set in the height of winter for the sake of

2170-581: The birds from many stretches of otherwise suitable rivers that would be habitats. This species was killed in Victorian times for stuffing and display in glass cases and use in hat making. English naturalist William Yarrell also reported the country practice of killing a kingfisher and hanging it from a thread in the belief that it would swing to predict the direction in which the wind would blow. Persecution by anglers and to provide feathers for fishing flies were common in earlier decades, but are now largely

2232-411: The breeding sites and the wintering areas. Like all kingfishers, the common kingfisher is highly territorial; since it must eat around 60% of its body weight each day, it is essential to have control of a suitable stretch of river. It is solitary for most of the year, roosting alone in heavy cover. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds display from perches, and fights may occur, in which

2294-413: The burrow entrance to be fed. Two broods, sometimes three, may be reared in a season. The early days for fledged juveniles are more hazardous; during its first dives into the water, about four days after leaving the nest, a fledgling may become waterlogged and drown. Many young will not have learned to fish by the time they are driven out of their parents' territory, and only about half survive more than

2356-572: The end of a burrow in a riverbank. The common kingfisher was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae in 1758 as Gracula atthis . The modern binomial name derives from the Latin alcedo , 'kingfisher' (from Greek ἀλκυών , halcyon ), and Atthis , a beautiful young woman of Lesbos , and favourite of Sappho . The genus Alcedo comprises seven small kingfishers that all eat fish as part of their diet. The common kingfisher's closest relative

2418-435: The fledging period each chick consumed on average 334 g of fish, which resulted in an estimated daily food intake of 37% of the chick's body mass (average over the entire nestling period). The average daily energy intake was 73.5 kJ per chick (i.e., 1837 kJ per 25 days of the fledging period). A challenge for any diving bird is the change in refraction between air and water. The eyes of many birds have two foveae (the fovea

2480-601: The house, kinship or neighborhood, a practice performed in order to give strength to the Sun according to the old beliefs. The rites related to the cult of vegetation, which expressed the desire for increased production in agriculture and animal husbandry, were accompanied by animal sacrifices to the fire, lighting pine trees at night, luck divination tests with crackling in the fire or with coins in ritual bread, making and consuming ritual foods, performing various magical ritualistic actions in livestock, fields, vineyards and orchards, and so on. Nata e Buzmit, " Yule log 's night",

2542-638: The kingfishers' egglaying according to the myth. Kingfishers however do not live by the sea, so Ovid's tale is not based on any actual observations of the species and in fact refers to a mythical bird only later identified with the kingfisher. The expression ἀλκῠονίδες ἡμέραι ( alkuonídes hēmérai ) first occurs in Aristophanes ' play The Birds 1594, then again in Aristotle , Philochorus , and Lucian . In Latin it occurs as alcyonides dies in Pliny

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2604-434: The next. Very few birds live longer than one breeding season. The oldest bird on record was 21 years. Other causes of death are cats, rats, collisions with vehicles and windows, and human disturbance of nesting birds, including riverbank works with heavy machinery. Since kingfishers are high up in the food chain, they are vulnerable to build-up of chemicals, and river pollution by industrial and agricultural products excludes

2666-449: The pair in and after Ceyx's loss in a terrible storm, though they both omit Ceyx and Alcyone calling each other "Zeus" and "Hera" (and Zeus's resulting anger) as a reason for it. On the contrary, it is mentioned that while still unaware of Ceyx's death in the shipwreck, Alcyone continued to pray at the altar of Hera for his safe return. Ovid also adds the detail of her seeing his body washed ashore before her attempted suicide. Pseudo-Probus ,

2728-496: The positions of the foveae, the kingfisher has monocular vision in air, and binocular vision in water. The underwater vision is not as a sharp as in air, but the ability to judge the distance of moving prey is more important than the sharpness of the image. Each cone cell of a bird's retina contains an oil droplet that may contain carotenoid pigments. These droplets enhance color vision and reduce glare. Aquatic kingfishers have high numbers of red pigments in their oil droplets;

2790-461: The precise timing of its occurrence is now public knowledge. The precise instant of the solstice cannot be directly detected (by definition, people cannot observe that an object has stopped moving until it is later observed that it has not moved further from the preceding spot, or that it has moved in the opposite direction). To be precise to a single day, observers must be able to view a change in azimuth or elevation less than or equal to about 1/60 of

2852-466: The queen of Trachis after marrying King Ceyx . The latter was the son of Eosphorus (often translated as Lucifer ). The couple were very happy together in Trachis. According to Pseudo-Apollodorus 's account, this couple often sacrilegiously called each other " Zeus " and " Hera ". This angered Zeus, so while Ceyx was at sea (in order to consult an oracle, according to Ovid ), he killed Ceyx with

2914-531: The reason red droplets predominate is not understood, but the droplets may help with the glare or the dispersion of light from particulate matter in the water. This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km (3,900,000 sq mi). It has a large population, including an estimated 160,000–320,000 individuals in Europe alone. Global population trends have not been quantified, but populations appear to be stable so

2976-579: The same period, a tradition that is originally related to the cult of the Sun. In East Asia , the winter solstice has been celebrated as one of the Twenty-four Solar Terms , called Dongzhi (冬至) in Chinese . In Japan , in order not to catch cold in the winter, there is a custom to soak oneself in a yuzu hot bath ( Japanese : 柚子湯 = Yuzuyu). Makara Sankranti, also known as Makara Sankrānti ( Sanskrit : मकर संक्रांति) or Maghi,

3038-406: The seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of the winter, January to April (northern hemisphere) or July to October (southern hemisphere). Livestock were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a plentiful supply of fresh meat was available. Because the winter solstice is the reversal of the Sun's apparent ebbing in

3100-572: The sky, in ancient times it was seen as the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun or of a Sun god . In cultures which used cyclic calendars based on the winter solstice, the "year as reborn" was celebrated with reference to life-death-rebirth deities or "new beginnings" (such as Hogmanay 's redding , a New Year cleaning tradition), and "reversal" (as in Saturnalia 's slave and master reversals). Some important Neolithic and early Bronze Age archaeological sites in Europe are associated with

3162-458: The smooth newt ( Lissotriton vulgaris ) may also constitute part of the diet of this species. In Central Europe, however, fish represented 99.9% of the diet (data from rivers, streams, and reservoirs from years 1999 to 2013). Common kingfishers have also been observed to catch lamprey . One study found that food provisioning rate increased with brood size, from 1498 g (505 fishes for four nestlings) to 2968 g (894 fishes for eight nestlings). During

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3224-478: The species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as " least concern ". Winter solstice The winter solstice , also called the hibernal solstice , occurs when either of Earth 's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from

3286-402: The transparent third eyelid . The bird rises beak-first from the surface and flies back to its perch. At the perch the fish is adjusted until it is held near its tail and beaten against the perch several times. Once dead, the fish is positioned lengthways and swallowed head-first. A few times each day, a small greyish pellet of fish bones and other indigestible remains is regurgitated. The food

3348-445: The two species where both occur. The common kingfisher has no song. The flight call is a short, sharp whistle chee repeated two or three times. Anxious birds emit a harsh, shrit-it-it and nestlings call for food with a churring noise. There are seven subspecies differing in the hue of the upperparts and the intensity of the rufous colour of the underparts; size varies across the subspecies by up to 10%. The races resident south of

3410-566: The water remains clean. This species is resident in areas where the climate is mild year-round, but must migrate after breeding from regions with prolonged freezing conditions in winter. Most birds winter within the southern parts of the breeding range, but smaller numbers cross the Mediterranean into Africa or travel over the mountains of Malaysia into Southeast Asia. Kingfishers migrate mainly at night, and some Siberian breeders must travel at least 3,000 km (1,900 mi) between

3472-529: The winter solstice celebrate the return of the Sun ( Dielli ) for summer and the lengthening of the days. The Albanian traditional rites during the winter solstice period are pagan, and very ancient. Albanologist Johann Georg von Hahn (1811 – 1869) reported that Christian clergy, during his time and before, have vigorously fought the pagan rites that were practiced by Albanians to celebrate this festivity, but without success. The old rites of this festivity were accompanied by collective fires ( zjarre ) based on

3534-466: The winter solstice was deemed an important moment of the annual cycle for some cultures as far back as the Neolithic (New Stone Age). Astronomical events were often used to guide farming activities, such as the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food. The winter solstice was important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of

3596-589: The winter solstice, and he saw that the day was continuously lengthening, he said, "It is the order of the world!" He went and feasted for eight days. The following year, he feasted for both. He established them in Heaven's name, but they established them in the name of idolatry Although the instant of the solstice can be calculated, direct observation of the moment by visual perception is elusive. The Sun moves too slowly or appears to stand still (the meaning of "solstice"). However, by use of astronomical data tracking ,

3658-590: The winter solstice, such as Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (Newgrange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). It is significant that at Stonehenge the Great Trilithon was oriented outwards from the middle of the monument, i.e. its smooth flat face

3720-551: The year". Yalda night celebration, or as some call it "Shabe Chelleh" ("the 40th night"), is one of the oldest Iranian traditions that has been present in Persian culture from ancient times. In this night all the family gather together, usually at the house of the eldest, and celebrate it by eating, drinking and reciting poetry (esp. Hafez). Nuts, pomegranates and watermelons are particularly served during this festival. An Aggadic legend found in tractate Avodah Zarah 8a puts forth

3782-636: Was a sun festival on the winter solstice. Modern scholars generally do not believe this, as midwinter in medieval Iceland was a date about four weeks after the solstice. During the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples , Yule was incorporated into the Christmas celebrations and the term and its cognates remain used to refer to Christmas in modern Northern European languages such as English and Swedish. Albanian traditional festivities around

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3844-419: Was turned towards the midwinter Sun. In the ancient Roman calendar, December 25 was the date of the winter solstice. In AD 274, the emperor Aurelian made this the date of the festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti , the birthday of Sol Invictus or the 'Invincible Sun'. Gary Forsythe, Professor of Ancient History, says "This celebration would have formed a welcome addition to the seven-day period of

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