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@gregoryrothman.bsky.social Oct 13, 2026, 1:36 AM

@robcrank68.bsky.social
says today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Brown & alt is #Blue - any bird with brown or blue plumage .

A #BeltedKingfish at N Pond takes in the view before swallowing a snack.
#birds #ECK #photographersunited #nikonz8

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

Perched atop a weathered, sun-bleached tree trunk, a female Belted Kingfisher surveys the water beneath her. Her dramatic, spiky blue-black crest looks almost windblown, while her long, dagger-like bill points toward the left. Slate-blue feathers cover her head, back, and wings, contrasting with a bright white collar and breast. A distinctive rusty-brown band crosses her lower chest, identifying her as a female.

Behind her, soft blue water and the blurred silhouettes of distant waterfowl create a peaceful, almost painterly background. The rough, textured wood provides a striking contrast to her finely patterned feathers. Alert and poised, she appears ready to launch herself toward an unsuspecting fish.

Curious Facts

Unlike most bird species, female Belted Kingfishers are more colorful than males. Only females sport the rusty-brown breast band; males have a single blue-gray band.

Kingfishers are expert aerial fishermen. They often hover above the water before plunging headfirst, using their powerful bills to seize small fish. Their eyes contain adaptations that help them locate prey despite the distortion caused by light passing from air into water.

These birds excavate surprisingly long nesting tunnels into steep riverbanks or sandy embankments. Both parents dig with their bills and feet, creating burrows that can extend more than six feet underground.

Kingfishers cannot swallow fish sideways. After catching one, they typically return to a perch, strike it against a branch to subdue it, and swallow it headfirst so its fins fold backward.

Their unmistakable rattling call, often heard before the bird is spotted, is one of the characteristic sounds of North American waterways.

Photograph © Gregory Rothman 2026

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