Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Cerylide
Genus: Megaceryle

Audio for Species

Call
Song

from Macaulay Library

Species Related Links

Additional Belted Kingfisher Pictures

Description

Height: 11-13.8 in (28-35 cm) Weight: 4.9-6 oz (140-170 g) Wingspan: 18.9-22.8 in (48-58 cm)

They have a large head with a ungroomed looking crest. The bill is long, and heavy that is black with a grey base. The female is more brightly coloured than the male and has a rufous band across the upper belly and down the flanks; with rufous tips to feathers in blue chest band. Male and female have a slate blue head, large white collar, and a large blue band on the breast, with white underparts. The male may have rufous flanks and some rust in the blue chest band. The back and wings are slate blue with black feather tips with little white dots. Juveniles of this species are similar to adults, but both sexes have the rufous band on the upper belly. Juvenile males will have a rufous band that is mottled while the band on females is much thinner than on adult females.

 

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

The Kingfisher"s breeding habitat is near inland bodies of waters or coasts across most of Canada, Alaska and the United States. They migrate from the northern parts of its range to the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and northern South America in winter. They nest in burrows in bank near water. The clutch size is 5 to 8 eggs, that are white in color.

Fish is it's main diet, along with aquatic invertebrates, insects, and small vertebrates.