There are 87 different species of kingfisher in the world, but only one species breeds in the UK. The bird that is native to the UK is the alcedo atthis. This bird is often referred to as the river kingfisher, and has perches along the river, where they spot their prey. The species of kingfisher that we find in the UK can be found across the world, as far as the Solomon Islands. There are species of kingfisher that look similar to the bird found in Great Britain, for instance, the great blue kingfisher (alcedo hercules) has similar markings to the alcedo atthis species of the bird. Kookaburras are a species of kingfisher and can only be found in Australia, and weigh five times as much as the UK native species.