Belted Kingfisher

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Belted Kingfisher

Image:BeltedKingfisher23.jpg
A female Belted Kingfisher in flight

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Cerylidae
Genus:	Ceryle
Species:	C. alcyon

Binomial name

Ceryle alcyon
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) is a large, conspicuous and noisy kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada.

This bird's breeding habitat is areas near inland bodies of waters or coasts across most of Canada, Alaska and the United States. In the winter, this bird leaves northern inland areas where the water freezes; in other parts of its range, these birds are permanent residents.

It is 28–36 cm long, with deep blue or bluish-gray plumage with white markings, a shaggy crest and a broad white collar around the neck. As shown in the photo, females have a rusty band along the sides of the belly, making this the only bird found in North America where the female is more decorated than the male.

These birds nest in a horizontal tunnel made in a river bank or sand bank. The female lays 5 to 8 eggs. Both parents excavate the tunnel, incubate the eggs and feed the young.

It often seen perched prominently on trees, posts, or other suitable watchpoints close to water before plunging in head first after its fish prey. They also eat small crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, small mammals, lizards and berries. These birds often give a rattling call as they fly overhead.

This bird migrates from the northern parts of its range to the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and northern South America, and has occurred as an extreme rarity in Iceland, Ireland and the UK.

The number of these birds appears to have declined, possibly as a result of habitat loss.