136 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



throat, and chin), the lower chest crossed by a broad 

 band heavily spotted with greenish-black, the lower 

 breast, also with a similar, but usually less distinct, 

 band ; white of under parts tinged with buff, especially 

 the chin, throat, and upper chest, which are sometimes 

 wholly light buff. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : A burrow in a bank. 

 Eggs : 5 or 0, pure porcelain white, thin-shelled, de- 

 posited in the hollowed-out end of the cavity on the 

 bare floor. 



Distribution. — Southern Texas and Mexico, south to 

 Panama. 



The Texas Kingfisher, since it occurs only in 

 the southern parts of Texas, is essentially a 

 Mexican, if not a Central American, bird. The 

 rattle of this small fisherman is like that of the 

 lusty northern Kingfi.sher. but absurdly weaker. 

 Like its big relative, however, it has very strong 

 convictions as to its fishing rights, and fiercely 

 attacks any member of its species whicli ven- 

 tures on its preserve. It usually watches for 

 fish from a rock in the stream, or even from a 

 sand bar. On land it waddles awkwardly, jerk- 

 ing its tail as it proceeds. 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



TEXAS KINGFISHER (,i nat. size) 



Like the northern species, this Kingfisher nests 

 in a hole which it digs in a bank, and the work 

 of excavation is shared by the male and the 

 female, who take turns. Floods due to cloud- 

 bursts destroy many of these nests in the bird's 

 Texan range. 



^^^^^y s 



Photo by C. William Beebe (Copyrighted) 



Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Co. 



TEXAS KINGFISHER 



