The Belted Kingfisher is a striking, stocky bird recognized for its large head, thick, dagger-like bill, and distinctive shaggy crest of blue-gray feathers. Measuring about 12 inches in length with a wingspan of 21 inches, these birds are blue-gray above with white spotting on their wings and a white underbelly adorned with a blue-gray breast band; females also have a rusty band on their bellies.
Commonly found around water bodies like ponds, lakes, and rivers, Belted Kingfishers are agile flyers, often seen hovering before diving for small fish. They defend their territory vigorously and are known for their loud, rattling calls. Their diet primarily consists of small fish, but they also eat crustaceans, insects, and occasionally berries.
Breeding ranges from Alaska to across Canada and the U.S., where they nest in vertical dirt banks. While some populations are permanent residents, northern birds migrate south in winter depending on water availability. Despite a significant decline in populations over recent decades, they are currently considered common and widespread, with an estimated 1.7 million breeding pairs globally.
Notably, the female is more vibrantly colored than the male, a rarity among bird species. Additionally, Belted Kingfishers have been known to share their nesting tunnels with swallows, creating unique cohabitation scenarios.
Some interesting facts about the Belted Kingfisher include: it wanders widely, sometimes showing up in the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the British Isles, the Azores, Iceland, Greenland, and the Netherlands; and the oldest fossil recorded for a Belted Kingfisher is about 2 million years old!
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