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Bird Identification

Trogons & Kingfishers

Species Profiles
Belted Kingfisher
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Belted Kingfisher

Ceryle alcyon, Length: 13"

Look for:

This big-headed, shaggy-crested bird is hard to confuse with anything else. The long, daggerlike bill is used to spear fish when the kingfisher plunges from the air into the water. Both sexes have a gray breast-band, but females also have a rusty band (like a bra) across the upper belly.

Listen for:

Most common call is a loud, dry rattle, often given in flight: ptptptrrrrrrr! This call has been compared to that of a Hairy Woodpecker.

Remember:

In flight, the Belted Kingfisher has jerky, irregular wingbeats. Its white underwings and belly flash as it flies. These clues make it fairly easy to identify a Belted Kingfisher at great distances.

Find it:

A conspicuous bird that perches in the open along streams, rivers, and lakes, the Belted Kingfisher gives a loud, rattling call as it flies. It hovers over the water, making a spectacular plunging dive when it spots a fish.

Wow!

Kingfishers dig nesting holes in vertical soil or sandbanks, often along streams. These nesting tunnels can be up to six feet long!

This profile is an excerpt from The Young Birder's Guide by Bill Thompson, III. Purchase an autographed copy from our nature store, and check out other BWD titles designed to help you identify backyard birds.

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The Backyard Bird Watcher's Answer Guide

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An Identification Guide to Common Backyard Birds

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Identifying and Feeding Birds

This readable, friendly guide is intended for bird watchers and non-bird watchers alike—for anyone who wants to enjoy nature right in his or her own backyard. The longtime editor of Bird Watcher's Digest and author of numerous books on birds, Bill Thompson, III, has been feeding and watching birds for 40 years. He has tried everything, and he shares what he's learned so that readers can avoid the mistakes and skip right to successful bird feeding. Only $14.95 in our store!

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Protect Your Binoculars With BinoBib

BinoBib is constructed of high-quality neoprene laminated with nylon. Its simple design safeguards your binoculars from dings and scratches, dust, dirt, and moisture. The shock- and moisture-absorbing neoprene helps draw moisture and condensation away from your optics and helps protect them from the elements. Only $26.95 in our store!

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