Belted Kingfisher  

Common Name: Belted kingfisher.

Scientific Name: Ceryle alcyon.

Length: 11 to 14-1/2 inches.

Wingspan: 20 inches.

Distinctive Markings: Bushy crest, dagger-shaped bill, white neck band and blue-gray collar. Females have an additional reddish belly band that extends to the flanks.

Distinctive Behavior: Watches for fish from exposed perches or hovers over the water before diving for prey.

Habitat: Near water, including seacoasts and inland waterways, ponds and lakes.

Song: Harsh, loud “rickety-crick-crick-crick” call when diving for fish or moving from one perch to another.

Nesting: Pairs build nests of fish bones and scales at the end of a tunnel in an earthen or gravel bank, often near water. Females lay five to eight white eggs, which both parents incubate. They raise one to two broods per year.

Diet: Fish, tadpoles, shellfish, lizards, frogs, toads, snakes, turtles, insects, young birds, mice and berries.