Belted kingfishers are year-round native Floridians and are most commonly found around sources of water, which they rely upon for survival. The belted kingfisher has a powder blue plumage, white belly, and shaggy crest. The females sport a rust-colored belly band for which the species is named, but the differences stop there. Both males and females have a large, pointed beak for fishing.
Belted kingfishers stalk lakes, rivers, and estuaries, looking for small fish to catch. They will fly up and down waterways searching for food or dive headlong from a perch. Belted kingfishers are one of the few bird species capable of hovering in one spot before diving. They use their dagger-like beaks to strike the water and their prey.
Belted kingfishers are known to nest in most climates but migrate south during the winter, where their waterways will stay unfrozen and, therefore, a viable food source. During the breeding season, they burrow upward into muddy banks so that rain cannot penetrate and line the nest with fish bones, scales, and various prey animal remains for added insulation. Keep an eye on the skies above your local water sources for a glimpse of the belted kingfisher.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Sarina Pennington, IOF Volunteer 
