Belted Kingfisher

Species Details

The wild, harsh rattling call introduces our resident kingfisher. This bluish-gray, shaggy-crested bird is white beneath with a blue belly band. The female has an additional chestnut band. It hovers above water and plunges head-first to grab a fish. Bones, scales, and other indigestible parts of prey are coughed up later as pellets. Nesting is in dirt banks where they dig a long horizontal tunnel with camber at the end.