342 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
ote 
the Kingfisher and the feet very small, while the Blue Jay has a moderate 
bill and large feet. 
Distribution.—North America, from the Arctic Ocean south to Panama 
and the West Indies, Breeds from the southern border of the United 
States northward. 
In Michigan the Kinefisher is universally distributed, and though nowhere 
abundant is so conspicuous in plumage and note that it may always be 
readily found. It frequents 
the borders of ponds, 
streams, large and small, 
and the Great Lakes, and 
is frequently to be seen 
perched upon the pile of a 
wharf, the mast or boom 
of a vessel, the peak of a 
boat-house, a dead stub 
standing in the water, or the 
overhanging branch of some 
convenient tree. The note 
is a vigorous and prolonged 
rattle, startlingly loud and 
harsh when close at hand, 
but not unpleasant when 
heard at a distance. It is 
not to be mistaken for the 
call of any other bird and 
bears a close resemblance to Fig. 87. Kingfisher. 
the sound made by the old- From Hoffmann’s Guide. Courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 
fashioned watchman’s rattle. 
In fishing the Kingfisher poises on quickly beating wings at a height of from 
ten to twenty-five feet above the surface of the water, with the body at an 
angle of perhaps 45°, but the bill pointed downward and the eyes scanning an 
the water intently, watching for the approach of a fish toward the surface. 
When a favorable opportunity presents itself the wings are partially closed 
and the bird drops head foremost into the water with a splash, usually 
capturing the small fish in the bill. Sometimes this is swallowed at 
once, but more often it is carried away to some nearby perch where it is 
beaten for a few moments until dead, and then either swallowed entire 
or carried away to the nest to be fed to mate or young. 
The nest is always a burrow in a bank of sand, gravel, or gravel and clay, 
sometimes only three or four feet in length, but more often’ from five to 
eight feet. At the end of the burrow is a somewhat 
enlarged chamber where the eggs are laid, often on 
the bare sand, but frequently on a collection of scales 
and bones of fish, the shells of crayfish, or similar 
skeletal material which has been ejected as pellets by 
the birds. The eggs vary in number from four to 
eight, but are commonly about six. They are pure 
white, unspotted, and usually a short oval, sometimes 
approaching the spherical. They average 1.36 by 
z Fig. 88. 
1.05 inches. Foot of Kingfisher. 
The food of the Kingfisher consists very largely of (Oveimal) 
fish, which are mainly the young of shallow water species, principally 
