The Belted Kingfisher is a stocky, big-headed bird found along virtually every waterway in North America, where it hunts by hovering and then diving headfirst for fish. The female is one of the few North American bird species more colorful than the male, bearing a chestnut belly band the male lacks. It excavates a long burrow in an earthen bank to nest.
Best time to see a Belted Kingfisher
The best time to see a Belted Kingfisher is August–January, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 59,977 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Belted Kingfisher? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Belted Kingfisher sightings near you
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