Belted Kingfisher: Bird Finder for November 18, 2016
Belted Kingfisher (Female), Blackie Spit Park, Crescent Beach, British Columbia
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
by Andy Rzeznikiewicz, Sanctuary Manager, Center at Pomfret
What it looks like: A mostly blue-colored bird with a large bill and a tufted crest on its head. The males have white and blue on their neck and breast, while the females have an additional reddish-brown belly band. The kingfisher is one of the few bird species where the female is more colorful than the male. Its presence is often known by the distinctive rattle call it makes while flying.
Where and how to find it: Belted Kingfishers frequent streams, rivers, estuaries, ponds and other relatively clear waterbodies, which they hunt over. They often sit motionless on a snag or wire looking for prey in the water. They feed mainly on small fish, crayfish, and amphibians. They sometimes hover-hunt as well over the water, then dive into the water to snatch their prey.
They are found throughout Connecticut year-round, where ever there is open water. In the winter they frequent estuaries and moving streams. The marsh side of the Millford Point Coastal Center is a good location to find one. At our Center at Pomfret, one or two frequent the beaver pond across from the nature center. But it’s worth checking along any stream or river.
Interesting facts: Belted Kingfishers dig a nesting burrow into the side of a vertical bank, usually along a river or stream. The burrow can be up to eight feet long! They will also make burrows in gravel banks. Some kingfisher are migratory and others stay year round. The nestlings have acid stomachs with allows them to digest fish bones and scales.
What if the bird isn’t there: At this time of year, many duck species can be found in areas where kingfishers might be present, and there is also the chance of finding a Pied-billed Grebe as well. Northern Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks are often not far from these locales too.
Conservation status: Least concern. It’s found over a wide area of the country, although in Connecticut it seems to be declining and harder and harder to find.
Photo of female kingfisher by Elaine Wilson, Carolinabirds.org
Note: I originally published this post with a photo of a Ringed Kingfisher, which I found on Carolinabirds.org misidentified as a Belted. I didn’t recongize the difference and published it without checking. A reader named Darlene Moore kindly pointed out the error. — Tom Andersen
