Perky and alert male Belted Kingfisher, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah

Belted Kingfisher Images, Facts and Information:

Megaceryle alcyon

  • Belted Kingfishers have powdery blue-gray plumage, dark eyes, tiny legs and feet, large heads with shaggy crests and long, sharp bills. Males have a single blue band on their chests and females have one blue band and one rusty red band.
  • Some Belted Kingfishers are migratory and some are year-round residents in their range. Open water is a must for this species.
  • Belted Kingfishers require clear open water and vertical open banks for habitat. They can be found near streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries and other marine habitat.
  • Belted Kingfishers primarily eat fish but they also will eat crustaceans such as crayfish, mollusks, insects, amphibians, reptiles, small birds and small fruits like berries.
  • Belted Kingfishers nest in burrows they dig, they lay 5 to 8 eggs which hatch in 22 to 24 days. Both sexes incubate and they are monogamous.
  • A group of kingfishers can be called a “rattle” or “crown” of kingfishers.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Belted Kingfisher photos.

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