Belted Kingfisher

birds · fishing · North America · water

Expert fish divers. Belted kingfishers hover above water and then plunge straight down at speeds up to 25 miles per hour to snatch fish and minnows from rivers and lakes. They can spot fish from high in the air and time their dives perfectly.

Both parents fish. Male and female belted kingfishers look different, with females having a rust-colored band on their belly while males only have a blue-gray one. Both work together to bring food to their hungry chicks.

Tunnel nest builders. Instead of building nests in trees like most birds, belted kingfishers dig long tunnels into riverbanks and lake cliffs, sometimes digging passages 4 feet long or more.

Loud and territorial. These birds have a distinctive cackling, machine-gun-like call that they use to tell other kingfishers to stay away from their fishing spot. You can often hear them before you see them.

Spiky head crest. The belted kingfisher has a prominent crest of feathers on its head that it can raise up or flatten down depending on its mood, making it look bigger when it's annoyed.