Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
An adult belted kingfisher patrols streams, lakes, estuaries, and shorelines, often perching above open water before diving headfirst after fish. It eats mostly small fish but also takes crayfish, frogs, tadpoles, aquatic insects, and occasionally small reptiles or mammals. Adults defend territories with loud rattling calls, direct chases, and repeated flights along the water’s edge. Unlike many birds, both sexes dig nesting tunnels, and the female is more brightly marked with an extra rusty band across the belly.
- Type
- Wing / Water
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Belted Kingfisher