kingfisher; common kingfisher
Refers to the bird species Alcedo atthis, a small brightly colored bird often seen near water.
I spotted a kingfisher by the river.
The kingfisher has beautiful blue feathers.
Katakana spelling is common for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also common; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and may be confused with the gemstone 翡翠 (ひすい).
Rarely used kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form.
The name カワセミ literally means 'river cicada' or 'river clear-water', but the exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 翡翠 is also used for the gemstone jadeite, likely due to the bird's vivid colors.