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| − | [[Image: | + | [[Image:86212-19-05 184.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult male<br />Photo © by {{user|richard+bledsoe|Richard Bledsoe}}<br />Santee Lakes Regional Campground, San Diego, [[California]], [[USA]], 19 December 2005 ]] |
;[[:Category:Megaceryle|Megaceryle]] alcyon | ;[[:Category:Megaceryle|Megaceryle]] alcyon | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
| + | 28–33 cm (11-13 in) | ||
*Big-headed and big-billed | *Big-headed and big-billed | ||
*Larger than [[American Robin]] | *Larger than [[American Robin]] | ||
| Line 8: | Line 9: | ||
*Broad gray breastband | *Broad gray breastband | ||
====Female==== | ====Female==== | ||
| − | Has rufous | + | Has rufous belly band |
| + | |||
====Male==== | ====Male==== | ||
| − | Lacks rufous breast band. | + | Lacks rufous belly band. |
| − | + | ====Juvenile==== | |
| + | Has breast band rufous or mixed blue and rufous. | ||
| + | |||
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
| + | [[Image:BeltedKingfisherIMG 5399.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult female<br />Photo © by {{user|jmorlan|Joseph Morlan}}<br />Lodi, [[California]], [[USA]], 22 November 2019]] | ||
Common and widespread over [[North America]] from southern [[Alaska]] east to [[Newfoundland]] (except parts of north-central [[Canada]]) and south to [[California]] and the Gulf Coast. | Common and widespread over [[North America]] from southern [[Alaska]] east to [[Newfoundland]] (except parts of north-central [[Canada]]) and south to [[California]] and the Gulf Coast. | ||
| Line 18: | Line 23: | ||
Vagrants recorded in the [[Western Palearctic]] recorded in [[Iceland]], [[Britain]], [[Ireland]], and the [[Azores]], with one record for the [[Netherlands]]. There have been five Icelandic records including at least two birds in May-September 1998, a moribund female in February 2002 and a male in October 2003. British Isles records (c.10), are mostly in Ireland in October-November but there are records for all months due to long-staying individuals, one for more than a year. | Vagrants recorded in the [[Western Palearctic]] recorded in [[Iceland]], [[Britain]], [[Ireland]], and the [[Azores]], with one record for the [[Netherlands]]. There have been five Icelandic records including at least two birds in May-September 1998, a moribund female in February 2002 and a male in October 2003. British Isles records (c.10), are mostly in Ireland in October-November but there are records for all months due to long-staying individuals, one for more than a year. | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
Most often seen as a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>, but west coast birds are sometimes separated as ''caurinus''. Until recently, this species was placed in genus ''[[: Category:Ceryle|Ceryle]]''. | Most often seen as a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>, but west coast birds are sometimes separated as ''caurinus''. Until recently, this species was placed in genus ''[[: Category:Ceryle|Ceryle]]''. | ||
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
| + | [[Image:Belted_Kingfisher.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo © by {{user|Loggah|Loggah}}<br /> Campton, [[New Hampshire]], [[USA]], 31 July 2003]] | ||
Rivers and streams, lakes, ponds and along sea-coasts. Occurs up to 2,500m in the Rocky Mountains. | Rivers and streams, lakes, ponds and along sea-coasts. Occurs up to 2,500m in the Rocky Mountains. | ||
==Behavior== | ==Behavior== | ||
| − | Hovering on rapidly beating wings in readiness for the plunge, or flying with uneven wingbeats (as if changing gear), rattling as it goes, the kingfisher is easily recognized. | + | ====Actions==== |
| − | + | Hovering on rapidly beating wings in readiness for the plunge, or flying with uneven wingbeats (as if changing gear), rattling as it goes, the kingfisher is easily recognized. Perches conspicuously and fishes from a perch or hovers over the water. | |
| − | Perches conspicuously and fishes from a perch or hovers over the water. | ||
====Breeding==== | ====Breeding==== | ||
Nests in burrow in dirt banks. | Nests in burrow in dirt banks. | ||
====Voice==== | ====Voice==== | ||
A harsh, woody rattle | A harsh, woody rattle | ||
| + | ====Movements==== | ||
| + | [[Image:Kingfisher-8309.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo © by {{user|mrmike|mrmike}}<br />Toronto, [[Canada]], 21 July 2007]] | ||
| + | Males often resident maintaining territories year-round. Females are a partial migrant in most of range moving south in winter to the southern USA and Central America to Panama. | ||
| + | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | #{{Ref- | + | #{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#Fry, C.F., Fry, K. and Harris, A. (1991). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. Princeton University Press. |
| + | #Kelly, J. F., E. S. Bridge, and M. J. Hamas (2009). Belted Kingfisher (''Megaceryle alcyon''), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.84 | ||
| + | #Woodall, P.F. (2020). Belted Kingfisher (''Megaceryle alcyon''). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/55811 on 23 February 2020). | ||
{{ref}} | {{ref}} | ||
| + | |||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
| − | <!-- Comment for editors: | + | <!-- Comment for editors: with the new 2020 platform the previous construct doesn't work. In the meantime needs two separate scientific name searches and a common name until more tags have been added --> |
| + | Search the Gallery using the common name: | ||
| + | {{GSearch|"Belted Kingfisher"}} | ||
| + | <br /> | ||
| + | Search the Gallery using the scientific name ''megaceryle alcyon'': | ||
| + | {{GSearch|megaceryle+alcyon}} | ||
| + | <br /> | ||
| + | Search the Gallery using the scientific name ''ceryle alcyon'': | ||
{{GSearch|ceryle+alcyon}} | {{GSearch|ceryle+alcyon}} | ||
| + | {{GS-checked}} | ||
| + | <br /> | ||
| + | <br /> | ||
| + | |||
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Megaceryle]] | [[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Megaceryle]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:03, 5 January 2022
Photo © by Richard Bledsoe
Santee Lakes Regional Campground, San Diego, California, USA, 19 December 2005
- Megaceryle alcyon
Identification
28–33 cm (11-13 in)
- Big-headed and big-billed
- Larger than American Robin
- Blue-gray above
- Ragged bushy crest
- Broad gray breastband
Female
Has rufous belly band
Male
Lacks rufous belly band.
Juvenile
Has breast band rufous or mixed blue and rufous.
Distribution
Common and widespread over North America from southern Alaska east to Newfoundland (except parts of north-central Canada) and south to California and the Gulf Coast.
A partial migrant with most birds from the interior moving south in August-early November, returning in March-May, but some birds stay north in coastal areas. Winter range extends south to Mexico and Central America, the West Indies and northern South America. A common winter visitor and migrant to the Atlantic coast. Regularly recorded on Bermuda and in the Hawaiian Islands (vagrants).
Vagrants recorded in the Western Palearctic recorded in Iceland, Britain, Ireland, and the Azores, with one record for the Netherlands. There have been five Icelandic records including at least two birds in May-September 1998, a moribund female in February 2002 and a male in October 2003. British Isles records (c.10), are mostly in Ireland in October-November but there are records for all months due to long-staying individuals, one for more than a year.
Taxonomy
Most often seen as a monotypic species[1], but west coast birds are sometimes separated as caurinus. Until recently, this species was placed in genus Ceryle.
Habitat
Rivers and streams, lakes, ponds and along sea-coasts. Occurs up to 2,500m in the Rocky Mountains.
Behavior
Actions
Hovering on rapidly beating wings in readiness for the plunge, or flying with uneven wingbeats (as if changing gear), rattling as it goes, the kingfisher is easily recognized. Perches conspicuously and fishes from a perch or hovers over the water.
Breeding
Nests in burrow in dirt banks.
Voice
A harsh, woody rattle
Movements
Males often resident maintaining territories year-round. Females are a partial migrant in most of range moving south in winter to the southern USA and Central America to Panama.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Fry, C.F., Fry, K. and Harris, A. (1991). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. Princeton University Press.
- Kelly, J. F., E. S. Bridge, and M. J. Hamas (2009). Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.84
- Woodall, P.F. (2020). Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/55811 on 23 February 2020).
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Belted Kingfisher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Belted_Kingfisher
External Links
Search the Gallery using the common name:
Search the Gallery using the scientific name megaceryle alcyon:
Search the Gallery using the scientific name ceryle alcyon:
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
