Bfllted Klngflflher WESTERN BIRDS 



inches long with bluish-gray upper parts, the wing 

 feathers being tipped with white, forming small white 

 spots; tail feathers with spots and broken bands of 

 white; a spot before the eye, throat, and band that 

 nearly meets at back of the neck, lower breast and belly, 

 white ; sides and a band across the breast are bluish gray. 

 The female differs only in having the sides and a band 

 on the belly, rufous; immature have rufous sides. 



The Belted Kingfisher is a lover of water, living along 

 wooded streams, ponds, and even the ocean. Perched 

 on a bare limb or post the bird watches in the water for 

 its prey and when a tiny fish is sighted plunges head first 

 after it, returning, if he is successful, to his perch, where 

 he shakes his feathers and swallows the catch, head first. 

 He has a pleasing way of holding himself poised in air 

 as he hovers over the stream in search of food, much as 

 the Sparrow Hawk sights his prey in the field. 



They are solitary birds, usually one individual, a pair, 

 or family, according to season, being seen along pond, 

 mountain stream, or beach, as the case may be. One 

 requisite of the nesting season is, however, a bank of 

 sand, or clay, where a hole can be excavated for the eggs. 

 These holes are dug out by the birds, usually near the 

 top of the bank, and run back from four to six feet. 

 From five to eight white eggs are laid. The young are 

 hatched naked but when they are able to leave the nest- 

 hole are quaint, big-headed replicas of their parents. 



The call of these birds is quite different from that of 

 other birds and unmistakable, being a weird wooden 

 rattle which is given by the bird as it flies down the 

 stream, dives after his prey, or returns with it, jubilantly, 

 to his perch. 



Unusual in shape because of his big pompadour and 

 long bill, noisy with his rattling call, associated with the 

 cool bubbling water because of his habits, he is, indeed, 

 a quaint and interesting species. 



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