With its top-heavy body, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) seems to have an air of confidence as it patrols up and down rivers and shorelines. It can be seen perched high on a snag, or hovering while it beats its wings rapidly, before diving headfirst to catch fish or crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. It is found throughout almost all of North America in one season or another and is the only member of the kingfisher family to be found in most areas north of Mexico. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray. Males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band. The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male.
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Posted by Cutts Nature Photography on 2018-03-25 21:57:28
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