“The belted kingfisher is a striking and picturesque feature of the landscape whether in action or at rest.”
As usual, I heard the loud, rattling call before I saw the bird. It was a Belted Kingfisher, a denizen of the small ponds and lakes at Fair Meadows, positioned on an exposed perch in a tree above the open water of Mirror Pond. In a flash, the kingfisher launched into the air, dove headlong into the water, and emerged with a large fish in its bill. As it flew away with its prize, the kingfisher hung so low over the water that its wingtips brushed the surface. Carrying its prey to a favorite perch, the kingfisher beat the fish into unconsciousness before attempting to swallow it headfirst. Being such a large fish, it took several attempts before the bird succeeded.
Female Belted Kingfisher, showing rufous flank patches and a rufous breast band below a blue-gray band. Some of the feathers of the blue-gray band show rufous tips, indicating that this is probably a first-year female (photo by Gary Shackelford).
With a seemingly oversize head and bill, shaggy-crested head, short tail, white underparts, complete white collar across the hindneck, and overall blue-gray dorsum, the Belted Kingfisher is unmistakable. In contrast to the usual variation in plumage of most sexually dimorphic bird species, the female is more colorful than the male, sporting rufous flank patches and a rufous breast band in addition to the blue-gray breast band seen in both sexes.
The Belted Kingfisher is the only species of kingfisher that can be found in the continental United States outside of Texas and Arizona. They are fairly common summer residents and uncommon winter residents at Fair Meadows. A key habitat requirement for all seasons is clear, open water, so the bird can hunt fish from above. Kingfishers typically use a sit-and-wait hunting strategy, stationing themselves on an exposed perch with an unimpeded view of their feeding territory before plunging into the water to snag fish with their bills. A less common strategy is to hover over the surface of the water and dive for prey.
Typical Belted Kingfisher nest cavity in an earthen bank (photo by Gary Shackelford).
Belted Kingfishers nest in tunnels that they excavate near the top of steep earthen banks. Because of their specialized nesting habitat requirement, the range of kingfishers during breeding season is somewhat limited by the availability of a suitable sandy, gravelly, or clay bank, usually near a body of water. They use their short legs and specially adapted feet to shovel loose soil from the passageway after it has been loosened by their powerful bill. Depending partly on the type of substrate, excavation of the nest cavity can take a few days or up to a few weeks. The length of the tunnel varies but is typically one to two meters. An occupied burrow can generally be recognized by the presence of two furrows made by the shuffling feet of birds as they enter and leave the tunnel. Nests cavities are sometimes reused from year to year.
On a winter day in another year, a rattling call signaled that a kingfisher was nearby. It was perched on the bare branch of a partially submerged log in Heron Pond, lured in by the ice-free water of the spring-fed pond. The absence of a rufous breast band or flank patches confirmed that the bird was a male. His bold blue-gray and white plumage set against the snowbank behind him created a perfect wintry scene. Fishing was unproductive on that occasion, but there would always be another day for this expert fisherman.
Male Belted Kingfisher at Heron Pond in winter (photo by Gary Shackelford).
Written by Gary Shackelford, Fair Meadows Sanctuary resident manager
Cover image by Gary Shackelford. A Belted Kingfisher flies low over Mirror Pond with fish prey.
