The Belted Kingfisher

Locals to this area have probably already heard this bird, just didn’t know what it was. It emits a piecing “rattle” call as it patrols over lakes and ponds. It is also one of the few bird species where the female has more attractive coloring than the male. The Belted Kingfisher pictured here is a female, who sports a blue belt (as does the male) across the chest, but also a bright chestnut band. She’s a beauty!
Belted Kingfishers are stocky, large-headed birds with a shaggy crest on the top and back of the head and a straight, thick, pointed bill. Their legs are short and their tails are medium length and square-tipped. They are about the size of a Robin.
The Belted Kingfisher nests in burrows along earthen banks. They generally choose a bank near water, but may use a ditch, road cut, landfill, sand pit, or gravel pit far from water.  A pair may select a nest site during courtship, usually high in the bank where floodwaters are unlikely to reach. The male probes the bank with his bill, flying back and forth to the female, who calls continuously from a nearby perch.The male and the female take turns digging the burrow, with males spending about twice as much time digging as females. They can have 1 or 2 broods a nesting season.
The Belted Kingfisher feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. I’ve seen it catch fish hovering on the fly but also dropping down from a perched location. When it spots a fish or crayfish near the surface, it takes flight, dives with closed eyes, and grabs the prey in its bill with a pincer motion. Returning with its prize, it pounds the prey against the perch before swallowing it head first. GULP!
Compared to other fish-eating birds, Belted Kingfishers seem to be relatively unaffected by environmental contaminants, possibly because their small prey accumulates only low levels of toxins. Kingfisher populations are limited by the number of earthen banks available for nesting, and some populations have grown and spread thanks to human-made sand and gravel pits. They are sensitive to disturbance, and may abandon territories if people begin frequenting the area.
So, the next time you hear that unmistakable rattle and maybe see a flash of blue; it’s a Belted Kingfisher!