Etude par radiopistage de la territorialité chez le martin pêcheur (Alcedo atthis): cas de deux mâles voisins ; Radiotracking study of the territoriality in the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis): the case of two neighbouring males

peer reviewed ; The kingfisher is generally considered as strongly territorial. However, different pairs are sometimes nesting at very close quarters. Two male kingfishers nesting along the river Meuse (Belgium) at a distance of less than 500 m were radiotagged. Their respective home range (5.2 and 7.2 km) were largely overlapping, some fishing grounds being used simultaneously by both birds. Some kind of territorial defence (a bird chasing its neighbour) has been observed in a very limitid area around the nesting places.