Saturday, October 31, 2020

A Burrowing Carnivorous Bird


The enormous head, blue color, and feather crest of the Belted Kingfisher makes these water birds easy to identify. This fellow was photographed this evening along a stream near the house.

Quite wary, Kingfishers perch on trees overlooking clear water and then swoop very low and fast in order to pluck small fish from the water.

Kingfishers are distinct in that they nest in underground burrows that they dig in soft soil in high stream banks. Their den pipes slope uphill for drainage, and are typically 3-6 feet long, ending in a nesting chamber 8-12 inches in diameter and about 7 inches high.

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