The Bird Angler 
Gay and Vivacious, the Kingfisher Is Nevertheless 
genus fairly abundant in all 
parts of the globe. In India, 
Australia, Europe and Africa the dif- 
ferent varieties range from 
the tiny, brilliant hued crea- 
ture of Java to the big 
“Laughing Jackass” of New 
South Wales—all are well 
built, strong of wing and 
handsomely colored, blue 
and green being the domi- 
nant feature, especially in 
the common European 
species, which is decorated 
in the most splendid hues of 
azure, green and orange. 
The color of our native 
species is more sober, being 
a dark slate colored blue, 
with pure white belly and 
throat, prettily mottled in 
white on the wings and on 
the tail, with a belt across 
the breast in gray, some- 
times mixed with orange. 
The color varies somewhat 
in different specimens, 
though the male and female 
are very similar, both in 
size and color—measuring 
from beak to tail twelve to 
fifteen inches. Its most 
distinguishing feature, how- 
ever, is the head, being 
furnished with a crest of 
long pointed feathers which 
can be raised or depressed 
at will. 
The belted kingfisher is 
very common all over North 
America, migrating north 
and south, according to the 
temperature; as soon as the 
ice leaves the water it ar- 
rives, and reaches the vicin- 
ity of New York State 
about April 1; it at once 
begins its angling operations, which 
continue until late in the fall. 
Ee HIS bird is one of a numerous 
HIS bird is admirably provided by 
nature with means to catch fish. 
Man is a comparative duffer at the 
game; even with all his ingenious de- 
vices he cannot take thirty to fifty fish 
each day and keep it up all the season 
through. The kingfisher has a vision 
so keen, that even when passing with 
82 

a Dangerous Trout Enemy 
By LOUIS RHEAD 
Illustrated by the Author 
meteor-like flight over the water he will 
suddenly check himself in mid-career, 
hovering over the spot for a time 
watching the finny tribe below as they 




























“A struggling fish between the mandibles of his 
lance-like beak” 
swim to and fro, then plunge after 
them. Rapid streams are his favorite 
place of resort, nearby on some high 
bank of sand or clay, he chooses a 
situation for his nest, and digs with his 
bill and claws a hole four or five feet 
in extent. 
They are very tenacious of their 
haunts, and the same pair will breed 
for several successive years in the 
same hole. For some miles up and 

down the stream, they have certain 
chosen places to fish, usually perching 
on a branch which overhangs the 
water; this act has a two-fold ad- 
vantage—one, where they 
can rest and gorge; also to 
preen and dry their 
feathers. 
ROM these resting-places 
they will rise fifty feet 
in the air, fluttering their 
wings in the same _ spot, 
with piercing eyes watching 
their prey; suddenly, with 
a curious spiral kind of 
plunge will dart into the 
water, scattering the finny 
tribe in all directions, and 
soon emerge with the spray 
dripping from them and a 
struggling fish in their 
lance-like beak. The bird 
will then fly off to his fav- 
orite perch; then, with a 
few sharp raps he will beat 
out the life of the fish on 
the branch beside him. 
After a little maneuvering, 
it is worked so that the fish 
can be swallowed head fore- 
most, and is soon lost to 
sight in his capacious 
throat. All creatures that 
feed on fish, birds or ani- 
mals, take care to swallow 
fishes head first, because 
many have sharp spines on 
their dorsal fins that would 
tear so sensitive a part as 
the throat, as it passes 
down. With a self-satisfied 
air he will then sit working 
his crop back and forth in 
a strange manner, as if to 
help digestion; while be- 
tween times he will trim 
and oil his wet and ruffled 
feathers, with his long beak and tongue. 
Just as soon (and it is not long) as 
the food is comfortably placed, he is 
alert and ready for another dive; this 
he repeats over and over again while 
daylight lasts, so that it may be said, 
with entire truth, he kills and baskets 
fifty young trout or other fish each 
day, including Sundays, and a fair 
estimate of his angling skill may be 
put down at 8,750 fish for the season. 
