Belted Kingfisher 221 



Family ALCEDINID^. 



Genus CERYLE. 



Bill longer than the head, straight, stout and acute ; head with an 

 occipital crest ; wings long and pointed, almost double the length of the 

 even, twelve-feathered tail ; legs short and weak, tarsus very short ; 

 toes arranged with three in front and one behind and syndactylous — 

 that is, with the third and fourth bound up in a comrnon sheath for about 

 half their length. 



This is a large and almost cosmopolitan genus of Ivingfishers, but with 

 only one species widely distributed in the United States. 



Belted Kingfisher. Ceryle alcyon. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 390 — Colorado Records — Allen 72, pp. 151, 

 179 ; Aiken 72, p. 206 ; Henshaw 75, p. 366 ; Scott 79, p. 95 ; Allen 

 & Brewster 83, p. 196 ; Drew 85, p. 17 ; Morrison 86, p. 153 ; 88, p. 115 ; 

 89, p. 67 ; Kellogg 90, p. 87 ; Cooke 97, pp. 82, 207 ; Henderson 03, 

 p. 235; 09, p. 231; Dille 03, p. 74; Markman 07, p. 156; 

 Gihnan 07, p. 154 ; Warren 08, p. 21 ; 09, p. 14 ; Rockwell 08, 

 p. 164. 



Description. — Male^Above and a pectoral band across the chest 

 slaty-blue with black shaft-Lines ; head crested, a white collar round 

 the nape ; primaries dusky, with white at the base of the inner webs ; 

 a few white spots on the wing-coverts ; tail spotted with white, and 

 black on the inner web ; below, including a spot in front of and below 

 the eye white, except for the pectoral band ; iris dark brown, bill 

 black, legs dusky. Length 11-5 ; wing 6'25 ; tail 34 ; culnaen 2-15 ; 

 tarsus -45. 



The female has the sides and flanks and a band across the middle 

 chestnut. 



Distribution. — Breeding from Alaska and Labrador to the southern 

 border of the United States ; a resident from New England, Colorado 

 and Washington, southwards ; in wdnter, south as far as the West Indies 

 and Panama. 



The Kingfisher is fairly abundant throughout Colorado wherever 

 suitable conditions prevail. It ranges from the plains to about 9,500 

 feet in summer, while a few birds undoubtedly winter at lower eleva- 

 tions, and where there is open water during this season. The following 

 are recorded localities : Big Thompson in Estes Park, common (Kellogg) ; 

 Boulder co., wintering in the valley, breeding in the hills (Gale & 

 Henderson) ; Breckenridge, breeding (Carter), El Paso co., rather 

 rare (Aiken), Salida, arriving April IGth (Frey), Fort Garland, August 

 (Henshaw), Sulphur Springs and Routt co. (Warren), Grand Junction, 



