Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

Order: Coraciiformes

Family: Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

Photo, E.T. Jones, Copyright ©1998 The Provincial Museum of Alberta - Use for Profit requires fee.

 

 Identification:

  • 27 - 36 cm in length.
  • Long, heavy bill and large blue-grey head with a conspicuous crest.
  • Both sexes are blue-grey above with a blue-grey band across the breast. White below with a white collar.
  • Female has a chestnut band across her belly.

Distribution:

Widely distributed across North America except the far North. Found in Manitoba along rivers and lakes. They feed on fish, diving vertically into the water to catch their prey. Winter along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Manitoba Museum Collections:

The Manitoba Museum has 7 skins and 3 skeletons of the Belted Kingfisher, collected within the province of Manitoba. The Museum also has 15 nesting records from around the province, dating back to 1922. One of these records, dated May 25, describes 2 adults burrowing into the face of a sawdust pile at an abandoned sawmill. This same pair was observed raising their young on June 28. Regions in Manitoba where nesting activity has been recorded are indicated on the map provided.
Breeding:

Belted Kingfishers return to Manitoba around the 2nd week of April to begin their breeding season. They nest near water, as they feed primarily on fish. The pair excavates a horizontal burrow, 1 - 2m in length, in a river bank, gravel pile or similar steep ridge. The nest chamber is located at the end of the burrow, and may be lined with regurgitated fish bones or insect remains. The female usually lays 6 - 8 white eggs, which both sexes incubate for 23 - 24 days. The young are altricial (naked and helpless at hatching), and are tended by both parents. They leave the burrow at 30 - 35 days.

Manitoba Status Rank and Conservation Issues:

Secure - Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, 1996 report.
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