CHAPTER XV 



KINGFISHER AND CUCKOOS 



Belted Kingfisher — ^Yellow-billed and Black- 

 billed Cuckoos 



The Belted (kingfisher 



Length — 12 to 13 inches. About one fourth as large again 

 as the robin. 



Male — Upper part grayish blue, with prominent crest on 

 head reaching to the nape. A white spot in front of 

 the eye. Bill longer than the head, which is large and 

 heavy. Wings and the short tail minutely speckled 

 and marked with broken bands of white. Chin, band 

 around throat, and underneath white. A bluish band 

 across upper breast and a bluish wash on sides. 



Female — ^Female and immature specimens have rusty 

 bands where the adult male's are blue. Plumage of 

 both birds oily. 



Range — ^North America, except where the Texan kingfisher 

 replaces it in a limited area in the Southwest. Com- 

 mon from Labrador to Florida, east and west. Win- 

 ters chiefly from Virginia southward to South America. 



Migrations — ^March. December. Common siunmer resi- 

 dent. Except in frozen northern limits of range, usu- 

 ally a winter resident also. 



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