View allAll Photos Tagged beltedkingfisher
This was its favorite perch and would eventually return to it, after several tries I finally got it landing with a fish. Since it was distant it has a fair crop to the image.
Thanks D for your help it is working again I can now save in jpeg..
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Our North American Kingfishers are not as attractive as many international Kingfisher species, but they are flamboyant, spirited, quirky, charismatic and generally fascinating.
Seen in summer
This kingfisher chose to move from one tree to another in front of the fall leaves that were still around back when the shot was taken.
This kingfisher was perched on a branch with its prey, when it launched to relocate to another branch.
Wikipedia: The belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. The only kingfisher in the majority of its range, the belted kingfisher's breeding habitat is near inland bodies of waters or coasts across most of North America, within Canada, Alaska and the United States. They migrate from the northern parts of its range to the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies in winter. It is a rare visitor to the northern areas of Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas. During migration it may stray far from land; the species is recorded as an accidental visitor on several Pacific islands, such as Cocos Island, Malpelo Island, Hawaii, the Azores, Clarion Island, and has occurred as an extremely rare vagrant in Ecuador, Greenland, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The southernmost records of M. alcyon are from the Galapagos Archipelago, insular Ecuador, where it occurs as a migrant in small numbers but apparently not every year.
Conservation status: Least Concern
Art - Texture applied to photo image.
What is special about a Belted Kingfisher?
Belted kingfishers are one of the few bird species where the female is more colorful than the male, sporting a chestnut or rust-colored band across her chest. Males are all blue-gray and white. 2. When looking for a belted kingfisher, listen for their distinct and loud rattling or chattering call.
The belted kingfisher is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests that this should be divided into three subfamilies. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Megaceryle alcyon
Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) Encyclopedia of Life
Mass: 5.3 oz Encyclopedia of Life
Family: Alcedinidae
Flight speed: 36 miles per hour unm.edu
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Coraciiformes
Thanks to everyone that views and comments on my images - very much appreciated.
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Birds as art! Love painting my wildlife shots! This precious little creature is one of my favorites ... I know, I know ...
With nearly 100 species of kingfishers worldwide it is surprising that the Belted Kingfisher is the only member with its breeding grounds in Canada. Once you have heard the dry, rattling call of this species you will not forget it.
Spend a little time near a stream, beaver pond, lake or any open water and it won't be long before you will see or hear a boisterous kingfisher come in to perch on a bare branch or hover over the open water scanning for prey and once it is spotted they go into a headfirst dive and usually come up with their catch.
This female is searching for food over a stream adjacent to a small beaver pond.
We are blessed with three kingfishers continuing to visit the lake and doing a lot of fishing - which means lots of flight! Great practice!
Visitante No-Reproductor/Migrante de Pasada
Embalse de Hatillo/Hernando Alonso.
Provincia Sánchez RamÃrez .
República Dominicana
I saw this belted kingfisher hit the lake, and fully expected her to bring up a fish. Later, on the computer, I saw that she'd found a frog, and flew across the lake with it before settling to enjoy her meal.
This was one very relaxed female Belted Kingfisher. She just sat on the bulkhead making it easy to get a really good pic. Shark River NJ.
Even though I was at 1/2000 sec, this Belted Kingfishers wings were still to fast for me. And he was in and out of the water before I could react.
We spent a week at the coast, mostly with relatives, so I didn't get out for nature shots much. But, after they all left, we got one more day for our own time. I went out to Sitka Sedge and spent a wonderful last morning taking shots of the kingfishers. It was like shooting fish(ers) in a barrel, as the female kept coming back to the same spot, then heading back out.
about 3 weeks ago I posted a shot of a Kingfisher in flight, and lamented about how tough it was to get close to these birds. This time I was sitting on a log behind some tall grasses to photograph a GBH and a large collection of turtles. This time the Kingfisher came to me and perched quite close for quite a while. Even after standing up I don't think the bird was aware of me.
This female Belted Kingfisher was going back and forth along the waters edge and landing in the trees and never in the open. Bucks County PA.
The female Belted Kingfisher shortly after launching from her perch. I just missed her fishing dive and egress...
Belted Kingfishers have been clocked at air-speeds up to 45 miles/hr. Is it any wonder they are a bit tricky to catch in flight... (Taken near Resthaven Island, BC).
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.