© L.Peat

Wild diet: Certain species specialize in catching fish, others a wide range of items including; molluscs, crustaceans, centipedes, spiders, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals

Feeding strategy: Main feeding method is perched silently waiting for prey to arrive. Most prey items of the Forest species is taken on the ground . The Alcedo fishers dive from a perch above the water. The Pied will hover and dive vertically onto the prey item. The small Ceyx like the African dwarf species act like flycatchers and will also glean prey from foliage .

Species dietary differences: Halcyon species are insect eaters, prey items include locust, crickets, worms, beetles, moths, millipedes, termites, small mice, lizards, skinks and snakes. Alcedo species are mainly fish eaters . Ceryle - fish eating species (ie Belted kingfishers) Ceyx will take aquatic items but are mainly insect eaters with crickets and spiders top of the food list . Dacelo are aquatic but no one member of the family is a specialist fisher, having insects high on the food list .