276 
CORACI IFORMES 
Order — Coraciiformes. Kingfishers, Mot-mots, etc. 
An order of which in North America we have but one family, Alcedinidae 
the kingfishers, and in Canada a single species. 
FAMILY ALCEDINIDAE. KINGFISHERS 
As there is only one species of the family in Canada, the description 
given under the species will serve for the family. 
390. Belted Kingfisher, le martin-pjBjcheur ceinturS. Megaceryle alcyon. 
L, 13*02. Plate XXXVII A. 
Distinctions. The great ragged crest and slaty blue back of the Belted Kingfisher 
cannot be very well confused with any other American bird. The weak feet, three toes in 
front, the two outer (Figure 390) joined for half their 
length, and the peculiar, clumsy grasping surfaces are 
diagnostic of the kingfishers. 
Field Marks. The ragged crest and large head, 
general coloration, a habit of sitting motionless on a perch 
overhanging the water or diving into it with a splash, and 
its harsh, rattling cry make the kingfisher easily recog- 
nizable in life. Figure 390 
Nesting. Usually on the ground at end of a tunnel Foot of Kingfisher; natural size, 
driven in the face of an exposed earth bank. 
Distribution. All North America, breeding wherever found in Canada. 
SUBSPECIES. The Belted Kingfisher is divided into two subspecies by present 
authorities. The Eastern Belted Kingfisher (le Martin-pecheur de l’Est) Megaceryle 
alcyon alcyon ranges across most of the continent. The Western Belted Kingfisher (le 
Martin-pecheur de l'Ouest) Megaceryle alcyon caurina, of the west coast, is described as 
having wings of a slightly different proportion, but the difference is slight, and it is not 
clear how far inland this form extends. 
All frequenters of Canadian waters know the kingfisher. It sits 
motionless on a commanding perch over the water watching for the fish 
below. Suddenly it dashes off, hangs suspended a moment in the air, and 
then drops with a resounding splash into the water, rising a moment later 
with a luckless fish in its capacious bill, and is off around the bend of the 
stream. Within its daily range the kingfisher knows every perch and 
branch from w r hich it can get a comprehensive view of its fishing grounds, 
and returns to them again and again. Streams are not its only habitat; 
it frequents lakes, ponds, and seashore. Kingfishers fish sometimes at con- 
siderable distances from their nests, as they are often seen in country where 
earth banks such as they require for nesting are few. However, they 
are adaptable and sometimes use the most unexpected substitutes, such as 
the earth clinging to the roots of an overturned tree, or the sides of a drain- 
age ditch. 
Economic Status. The Belted Kingfisher lives upon small fish, and 
whether or not this constitutes a grave economic offence is a question 
that cannot be answered offhand. The minnows caught by this bird along 
our larger streams, ponds, or lakes are certainly not of importance, but 
when kingfishers frequent small preserved trout streams they may possibly 
commit rather serious depredations. Their effect on the larger salmon 
waters is less clear. Ordinarily the fish they take are small perch, 
shiners, chub, and other minnows that frequent surface or shallow, warm 
water. The number of young game-fish that arc taken cannot be great. 
On waters given to the culture of trout the question is different. The fish 
taken there are comparatively well grown and, even if the kingfishers are 
not very numerous, they cannot be looked upon with friendly eyes by the 
angler. However, the evil done by this species can easily be exaggerated. 
