The kingfisher, symbol of protection and power over the seas, was in legend the first bird to fly from Noah's ark after the deluge, thus receiving the orange of the setting sun on its breast and the blue of the sky on its back. The native New Zealand kÅtare, or Sacred Kingfisher, admired by Maori for its watchful sentry-like stillness before diving, is one of our most widely loved and recognized birds.