BIRDS OF NEW YORK 1 37 



from March 20 to April 10, and the greater niimber disappear from October 

 20 to November 20. The species winters from Massachusetts, Illinois 

 and British Columbia southward to Northern South America; and breeds 

 from the gulf coast northward to about the limit of trees. 



The haunts of the Kingfisher are the lake shore, the river, the pond 

 and brook. Wherever there is water with finny inhabitants this solitary- 

 fisherman makes his appearance with the advent of springtime, and seldom 

 is found far from these localities except when crossing from one stream 

 to another or when going to and from the nesting site which is frequently 

 in the side of some gravel pit or stone quarry half a mile or more from the 

 fishing grounds. His favorite perch is on a dead limb, spile or boathouse 

 overlooking some pool well stocked with minnows, whence he darts with 

 sudden plunge after his unsuspecting prey as it approaches the surface. 

 Frequently he hovers in the air until he sights a favorable mark for his 

 skill. I have examined hundreds of fishes taken by this bird, and can not 

 find that it prefers any special species, except that the various kinds of 

 minnows, chubs, dace, young suckers, trout and perch are taken oftener 

 than such spiny species as sunfish and bullheads. It also feeds to some 

 extent on aquatic insects, small frogs, crayfish and salamanders. When 

 the Kingfisher rises from the water with his catch he utters a triumphant 

 rattle and shaking the water from his plumage seeks his favorite stand, 

 erects his crest, tilts his tail, proceeds to stun or beat the life out of his 

 squirming victim against the perch, and then swallows it head first. Most 

 of the fish captured by the Kingfisher do not exceed 3 or 4 inches in length, 

 but on a few occasions I have seen them try to devour brook trout 6 inches 

 long. One of the duties entrusted to me at the age of 10 to 15 years was 

 to free my father's trout pond from the scourge of kingfishers. It was 

 supposed that the Kingfisher had an insatiable appetite, for he was always 

 at the pond devouring the fingerling trout or the minnows which were 

 useful as food for the larger fish. But I soon found that, although the 

 Kingfisher has a good appetite, it is not the appetite of the Kingfisher 

 that is inexhaustible, but the stock of kingfishers. For, no matter how 



