THE BELTED KINGFISHER 



Kingfisher Family — Alcedinidce 



Length: About 13 inches — a rather large, stocky bird. 



General Appearance: A large bluish-gray and white bird, 

 with a very large crested head, a long bill, and a 

 short tail. 



Male: Bluish-gray above, becoming darker on the wings; a 

 ragged-looking crest on an unusually large head; a 

 white spot in front of each large dark eye; small 

 flecks on the wings; tail bluish-gray, flecked and 

 barred with white; throat white, a band of white ex- 

 tending nearly around the neck; a broad band of 

 bluish-gray extending across the breast; under parts 

 white, except the sides, which are bluish-gray; feet 

 relatively small, but with long, strong nails. 



Female: Similar to the male, except for a band of reddish- 

 brown across the breast, extending to the sides, and 

 forming a fourth belt; a white belt at the throat, 

 then gray, white, and reddish-brown belts. Unlike 

 most birds, the female kingfisher is more highly 

 colored than the male. 



Note: A long harsh rattle, similar to the sound made by two 

 bones or smooth sticks in the hands of a boy, or 

 to the noise of a policeman's rattle. 



Habitat: "By a wooded stream or a clear cool pond. 



Or the shores of a shining lake." 



Range: North America, and northern South America. Breeds 

 from Alaska and northern Canada to the southern 

 border of the United States; winters from British 

 Columbia, central United States to the West Indies, 

 Colombia, and Guiana, irregularly to Massachusetts, 

 New Hampshire, and Ontario. 

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