Kingfisher named Switzerland’s Bird of the Year 2026

BirdLife Switzerland has revealed that the kingfisher will be Switzerland’s bird of the year in 2026.

Swiss public chooses Bird of the Year 2026

In October 2025, 18.000 people in Switzerland voted on which bird was to be crowned “Bird of the Year 2026”. The results are now in, and BirdLife Switzerland has revealed that the kingfisher has come out on top.

Voters had five bird species to pick from. These were the grey wagtail, sand martin, dipper, little ringed plover and kingfisher. This was the second year that BirdLife Switzerland put the decision in the hands of the people, as it is usually decided by a panel of experts.

Kingfisher threatened in Switzerland

Vogelwarte estimates that there are between 400 and 500 pairs of kingfishers in Switzerland. This is a relatively low number and the bird is considered to be on the “red list”, meaning it's a vulnerable species in the alpine nation. In comparison, there are estimated to be between 4.500 and 7.000 pairs of kingfishers in Germany, according to DDA (Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten).

The colourful bird tends to be found in the Swiss Plateau, the area between the Swiss Alps and Jura mountains. The bird likes to be near lakes and rivers where it can take advantage of fish as a food source and riverbanks as a home. “The little bird shimmers in blue and orange, but despite its striking colours, it often remains hidden. Anyone who spots it can celebrate a small moment of success,” reports SRF.

Yet this particular species of bird can suffer in cold, harsh winter weather in Switzerland and is threatened by “polluted waters and the development of riverbanks, which restrict its habitat and food sources,” continues SRF.