Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher - Baron of Small Waters

Belted Kingfisher Female   [Internet Photo]

 If you have ever gone trout fishing along our streams or walked on one of our beautiful trails along lakes or streams in summer you probably have heard and seen the Belted Kingfisher.  This Baron of Small Waters prefers habitat that is wooded and bordering fresh water streams and lakes.  It feeds mainly on small fish which it captures by plunge diving.  It also eats molluscs, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, reptiles, small birds, mammals and even berries.

Kingfishers belong to the Alcedinidae family which contains 91 species worldwide with only 3 in North America; the Belted Kingfisher, the Ringed Kingfisher and the Green Kingfisher.  The Belted Kingfisher is by far the most common.  The other two species occur in the most southern parts of the US.  Alcedinidae members sit on low perches watching for prey below them.  They have large heads, long straight beaks and short legs.  They lead solitary lives except during breeding season.  Kingfishers are a large diverse group occurring on all continents except Antarctica but are absent from the very north of North America, most of Russia and central Asia.

Belted Kingfisher Male

The Belted Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird, 33 cm/13 inches long.  Its large crested head is a dull blue colour. The back, tail and wings are also blue as is the band across its breast.  The underparts are white.  The male has the single band across the breast but the female also has a broad rufous band across the belly which also extends down the flank.  Yes, that is correct.  In this species the male is subdued in colour and the female is flashy with the rufous band!  More about that later.

The call of the Belted Kingfisher is characteristic - a loud rattle.  It often makes it when disturbed along the lake or stream shore.  The sound is made as the bird flies to another favoured perch.

Belted  Kingfisher Female  [Internet Photo]

Belted Kingfishers nest in burrows excavated in sand banks near fresh water.  If you have visited a gravel pit or a washout along a river or stream and looked at the vertical wall of sand or gravel you will notice holes dug in the wall.  In New Brunswick there are two sizes of holes.  The smaller ones are usually Bank Swallow nest holes.  There will sometimes be one large hole.  That is the kingfisher nest hole. The entrance hole is 10 cm/4 inches in diameter and the tunnel 1-4 metres/3-15 feet long and is usually inclined upward.  The nest area is a spherical chamber.  The adults excavate the tunnel with their bills (their feet are small) and the loose sand is kicked to the exterior.  The adults can dig about 0.3m or 1 foot per day.  The female lays 5 to 8 white eggs.  Incubation lasts  22 to 24 days and is carried out by both the male and the female.  The female usually sits during the night and the male during the day.  Both adults feed the young.

Kingfishers winter in the extreme southern US and Mexico.  Occasionally they winter along the coast of western North America.  Rarely they will winter here in NB or NS.

Belted Kingfishers have been known to share their tunnels with swallows who excavate small enclosures on the sides of the tunnel.  There are other interesting facts about kingfishers.  To avoid becoming prey to a hawk they are capable of diving under the water.  The kingfisher was honoured by being placed on the Canadian $5 bill in 1986.  As noted above, the female sports the bright, flashy plumage in this species.  That is because the male plays the primary role in caring for the young.  Nature has a way of looking after its young.