Belted Kingfisher
by Inge Riis McDonald
Title
Belted Kingfisher
Artist
Inge Riis McDonald
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
With its top-heavy physique, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) seems to have an air of self-importance as it patrols up and down rivers and shorelines. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray; males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band.
The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. Among the nearly 100 species of kingfishers, the sexes often look alike. In some species the male is more colorful, and in others the female is.
Uploaded
June 12th, 2018
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