How to Find and Identify a Kingfisher

Belted kingfisher

The belted kingfisher is a common bird throughout North America, but one that many people have never seen. Skilled at diving into the water and capturing fish for a meal, the belted kingfisher has been known to escape from owls and hawks by submerging itself entirely when pursued. If you would like to see a belted kingfisher yourself, here are some avenues to pursue.

Instructions

1. Take a walk near the water. Obviously, a bird that lives on fish, frogs and other small aquatic life will spend the vast majority of its time near water. While belted kingfishers live on lakes and streams, your best bet to see one will be to take a walk along a river. Better yet, if you have access to a canoe, paddle down the river for a bit.

2. Watch for a bird of medium size with a shaggy crest on its head. The belted kingfisher looks like a teenage boy who just got out of bed! It is blue on the head and back with white underneath. The head looks larger than it actually is, thanks to the feathers that make up its crest, which stick straight up in the air. The bird gets its name from a white ring that encircles its throat and upper chest. The females have a reddish stripe across their chest, which the males do not possess. Both males and females have a small white spot in front of the eye and a strong black bill.

3. Listen closely for the call of the kingfisher. You will be able to locate the bird quickly once you hear this rattling call. The sound is best described as a raspy rattle, which is repeated in rapid succession as the kingfisher looks for food. The birds are usually on the move while calling, or shortly thereafter. They fly low over the water and like to cross a river repeatedly.

4. Search the dead branches of trees that overhang the water. The belted kingfisher will perch over the water and wait to spot a fish before going into the water after it. Along its territory, which it fiercely defends from other kingfishers, it will have several of these spots that it uses as vantage points, much as a fisherman would have a few favorite fishing holes in a river. You can often see the kingfisher as it flies to one of these hangouts, especially if it is emitting its noisy call. Once the kingfisher has a fish, it will return to one of these perches, where it pounds the fish on it until it is dead.

5. Observe the riverbanks. The kingfisher makes its nest in the sandy banks of rivers and streams. It will burrow into the loose sand and slant the nest upwards, which helps keep water out of the nest. Sometimes, the birds will build their nest in gravel or sand banks. The belted kingfisher will leave the part of its range where the winters are too harsh, heading to the coast or farther south.