Kingfisher chicks hatch at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire

A pair of kingfishers have successfully bred at a wetland wildlife reserve in Gloucestershire.

Their eggs hatched at WWT Slimbridge in early May and the birds will spend about four weeks raising their new chicks until they fly the nest.

Both the male and the female will feed their young up to a 100 fish a day in their nest, Slimbridge staff said.

It is estimated that there are 4,900 breeding pairs of kingfishers in the UK.

Dave Paynter, centre manager, said: "This is a great time to come and see them feeding their youngsters."

The team at the centre, close to the River Severn, have been monitoring their activity closely.

The breeding begins with the construction of a nesting burrow in the kingfisher bank, usually a vertical wall of soil about two metres (6ft) high.

Kingfishers incubate typically between five to seven eggs for about three weeks.

Once the chicks hatch, the parents feed them with small fish, increasing the size of the meal as their offspring grow.

The young are expected to fledge and possibly leave the nest at the end of May.

According to the RSPB, only around half of kingfisher chicks survive more than a week or two, although the species is not currently under threat in the UK.

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