Observe that flash of blue over the marsh ; watch the small , top-heavy bird atop a bridge post ; listen for a call that has been described as loud and rattling ( Kaufman 2001 ). This is the belted kingfisher ( Megaceryle alcyon ), a frequent , albeit fleeting , sighting on Kiawah . Astonishingly , this colorful and exciting bird is not ranked above average in the bird species popularity study mentioned above . ( Mock 2019 ) Yet , from both a worldwide perspective and as a family , kingfishers are an incredibly photogenic group of very diverse and multihued birds comprised of anywhere from 87 to 110 species in all . The largest species is either the 15- to 18-inch laughing kookaburra or the 18-inch giant kingfisher , and the smallest is the four-inch African dwarf kingfisher . Each species in this family adapted to its local surroundings in fascinating ways . “ There are fly-catching , bird-snatching , skink-plucking , and snail-cracking kingfishers . Even a nocturnal frog-spearing kingfisher .” ( Line 1995 , 30 )
The belted kingfisher is the more prevalent of the only two species found in North America , nesting everywhere , except in the American Southwest . It is seen as far north as the Arctic Circle in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon . While kingfisher males typically remain in breeding grounds yearround as long as local waters do not freeze , females usually migrate as far south as Central and South America or the West Indies in winter months .
The belted kingfisher has a striking appearance . It is 11 – 14 inches long and is quite beautiful , having a blue and white body and wings . The female is the more colorful , with a rust-colored band across the breast and upper legs , making the species dimorphic . In addition to their white chests , both sexes also have patches of white feathers in front of each eye . This feature has aroused scientific speculation . Some think these spots help a bird to warn off intruders when defending its territory . Others believe they facilitate the bird ’ s
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