Bird Lane Interpretive Trail

Physical Traits

Medium-sized bird; large head and shaggy crest; large, thick bill; bluish head and back; white throat and collar; white underneath with blue breast band. Male: Belly white, without rufous band. May have rufous flanks and some reddish in blue chest band. Female: Rufous flanks and band across chest below the blue band. Rufous tips to feathers in blue chest band.

Habitat

Breeds along streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries with banks for nest holes. Winters along coast, streams, and lakes.

Diet

Fish. Also eats aquatic invertebrates, insects, and small vertebrates.

Behavior

Watches in clear water from perch or while hovering, plunges into water headfirst to catch prey in bill. Pounds prey on perch to kill it.

Nest Building Techniques

Nest in burrow in bank near water. No lining used. The nest burrow is usually in a dirt bank near water. The tunnel slopes upward from the entrance, perhaps to keep water from entering the nest. Tunnel length ranges from 30 to 250 cm (1 to 8 ft).

Migration and Range

Short Distance Migrant

Cool Facts

The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. Among the 93 species of kingfishers, the sexes often look alike. In some species the male is more colorful, and in others the female is.

Where is the Kingfisher?

Stand looking past the numbered station post,
look slightly to the left out toward the swamp,
the smallest tree of the group of trees is where the Kingfisher is waiting,
the tree is a Sugar Maple tree,
a limb is growing to the right about 3 meters up,
the Kingfisher replica is about 1 meter to right from the trunk.

Want a picture of where to look ??
Want to see the replica ??