KINGFISHERS 321 



there. There are only seven American species, all contained in the 

 genus Ceryle, which has also five representatives in Africa and India. 

 Our seven species are confined chiefly to the tropics, only one advanc- 

 ing north of southern Texas. They are solitary birds of somewhat 

 local habit. All the American species are fish-eaters and are rarely 

 found far from the water. Some of the Old-World species, how- 

 ever, are forest-inhabiting and feed on small insects, mollusks, etc. 

 Kingfishers nest in holes, usually made by themselves in a bank, and 

 lay white eggs. The young are hatched naked, and the Juvenal plumage 

 is the first to be acquired. 



390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). BELTED KINGFISHER. (Fig. 52.) Ad. <?. 

 Upperparts bluish gray; wings with small white spots, most of the feathers 

 tipped with white, the inner webs of the primaries white at the base; tail- 

 feathers with numerous spots and broken bands of white; a white spot 

 before the eye; throat white, this color passing on to the sides of the neck 

 and nearly meeting on the back of the neck; a band across the breast, and the 

 sides bluish gray in immature specimens tinged with rufous lower breast 

 and belly white. Ad. 9. Similar to the male, but the sides and a band on 

 the belly rufous. L., 13'02; W., 6'17; T., 3'60; B., 2'00. 



Range. N. A. and n. S. A. Breeds from nw. Alaska, nw. Mackenzie, 

 cen. Keewatin, n. Que., and N. F., s. to the s. border of U. S.; winters from 

 B. C., Nebr., Ills., Ind., Ohio and Va. s. to the West Indies, Colombia, 

 Guiana, and irregularly as far n. as Mass., N. H., and Ont. 



Washington, common P. R., except in midwinter. Ossining, common 

 S. R., Apl. 1-Nov. 23; casual in winter. Cambridge, common S. R., Apl. 

 10-Nov. 1; rare W. V. N. Ohio, common S. R., Mch. 20-Nov. 1; rare 

 W. V. Glen Ellyn, isolated pairs, Apl. 1 Nov. 19. SE. Minn., common S. 

 R., Mch. 21-Dec. 12. 



Nest, in a hole in a bank, about six feet from the entrance. Eggs, 5-8, 

 white, 1'34 x T05. Date, Shelter Is., N. Y., May 4; Cambridge, May 15; 

 se. Minn., May 9. 



The shores of wooded streams or ponds are the chosen, haunts of 

 the Kingfisher. Silently he perches on some limb overhanging the 

 water, ever on the alert for food or foe. Paddle toward him as quietly 

 as you please, just as you reach his danger line he drops from his perch 

 and with loud, rattling call flies on ahead. This may be repeated several 

 times, until finally the limits of his wanderings are reached, when he 

 makes a wide detour and returns to the starting point. 



The Kingfisher hunts after the manner of the Fish Hawk. In passing 

 over the water it needs only the glint of a shining fin or scale just beneath 

 the surface to catch his watchful eye. On quickly moving wings he 

 hovers over the place, waiting only a fair chance to plunge on the 

 unsuspecting fish below. Emerging from the water with his prey in 

 his bill, he shakes the spray from his plumage, and, with an exultant 

 rattle, flies away to some favorite perch. 



1905. HERRICK, F. H., Home-Life of Wild Birds, 136-145. 1907. FIN- 

 LEY, W. L., American Birds, 139-147. 



