Minnesota Seasons - Belted Kingfisher

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Kate Fitzgerald

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRB, SNRN - Unranked Breeding, Unranked Nonbreeding

Minnesota

not listed

Species in Greatest Conservation Need


	Description


	Size
	11″ to 14″ in length 20″ wingspan

	Voice


	Similar Species



	Habitat
	Rivers, large streams, lakes, and beaver ponds


	Ecology
	Migration
	Early March to late November

	Nesting


	Food


	Distribution
	Occurrence
	Common migrant and breeder

	Maps
	The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map


	Taxonomy
	Class	Aves (birds)
	Order	Coraciiformes (kingfishers and allies)
	Family	Alcedinidae (kingfishers)
	Subfamily	Cerylinae
	Genus	Megaceryle (large crested kingfishers)

	The Belted Kingfisher was formerly named Ceryle alcyon. Along with three other large kingfishers, it was formerly placed in the genus Ceryle with the Pied Kingfisher. Phylogenetic and mitochondrial DNA analysis shows that Pied Kingfisher is more closely related to the American green kingfishers than to the other four kingfishers. The four kingfishers were subsequently separated as the new genus Megaceryle.

	Synonyms
	Ceryle alcyon Megaceryle alcyon alcyon Megaceryle alcyon caurina


	Visitor Photos

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	Dan W. Andree

	Kingfisher...and also a Woodchuck... While out near a creek and bluff one day I was able to sneak up on a Kingfisher. I have seen them before but the spook real easy. While I was filming it I would at times try sneak a little over to get a better view through the trees since there was a breeze blowing the branches at times back and forth.

	One time while I was trying to do that when I stopped and focused the kingfisher in noticed a woodchuck was there. I believe it either came from down below or came down the bluff. There was a hole near the very top of the bluff. It climbed right back up. I didn’t expect a woodchuck to climb cup a sand bluff or that it even could but it did. I only got footage of where it is in the frame grab and it climbing back up.

	I didn’t follow it up since I was more focused on getting the kingfisher. Made it interesting. Nice setting for around here.

	Kingfisher..... I believe this is a Kingfisher. I noticed it perched high above a stream on a dead tree limb in front of a sand cliff in rural Norman Co. Mn. It appeared to be watching the water area below possibly for any small fish etc. swimming in the stream. Made for an interesting photo.


	Diana Hensley



	Bird lover




	Lynn Rubey

	A female Belted Kingfisher perched on a branch over a stream waiting for its next meal near the bridge in The Big Stone Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County.

	A female Belted Kingfisher hanging out on a branch over a stream in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. The female Belted Kingfisher has a rusty colored breast band and flank.

	A Female Belted Kingfisher on a dead tree limb over a stream near the Minnesota River in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge along the auto tour route.


	Kate Fitzgerald

	I heard this Kingfisher make a loud SPLAT into the lake before I saw him fly up into a tree. I expected him to be carrying his catch, but apparently it got away from him because he was empty-handed.



	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera


	Slideshows


	Belted Kingfisher JMC Nature Photos




	Belted Kingfisher jt893x




	Belted Kingfisher Joshua Mayer

	About Ceryle alcyon



	Kingfishers Craig A. Mullenbach

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Dan W. Andree

	"Belted Kingfisher" female Nov 6, 2023

	About I had seen a couple of these belted kingfishers along a creek at times, but they always seen me first and would fly off until one day I happen to see one first while I was behind some trees. It was a female just perched on a dead tree limb above the creek. A wood chuck was briefly on the bluff behind the kingfisher and climbed up the bluff out of sight.


	Bird lover

	Belted Kingfisher 01 5/3/2021

	About Green Heron (Butorides virescens) Woodbury, MN 5/3/2021 diving for fish Video by Bird lover http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Birds/Belted_Kingfisher.html



	Other Videos


	Hastings Park Megaceryle alcyon wetvideocamera

	About Uploaded on Feb 8, 2011 This female Belted Kingfisher was on the alert for fish in the ponds at Hastings Park Sanctuary, Vancouver, BC. While waiting for some action the kingfisher's rival, the Great Blue Heron waded through behind. ( Megaceryle alcyon ) July 2003



	Belted Kingfisher naturalist97333

	About Published on Dec 20, 2009 Belted Kingfishers are both elegant and comical. Enjoy watching kingfishers call, fish and express themselves with their crazy Mohawk crest.



	Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) Carl Barrentine

	About Published on May 28, 2013 This female Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) was photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (28 May 2013).



	Belted Kingfisher HD720 Sparky Stensaas

	About Published on Oct 6, 2013 With apologies to Kevin Costner and the creators of the movie, Field of Dreams, I have modified the phrase "Build it and they will come." to "Place it and they will come" and by "it" I'm referring to a convenient perch for a bird. In this case, I had often seen and heard Belted Kingfishers at a nearby marsh. But they were usually perched far out in the water (Where there were perches!). Not great for photos. Plus, Kingfishers are one of the most spooky of all birds...Meaning they fly at the first sight of a human. So I found a spot on the edge of the marsh where I could get a clear view of the water. I found a good looking perch in my woods at home, hauled it to the spot and stuck it in the mud. I set up my pop-up blind about 20 yards away and waited....But I didn't have to wait very long as a Belted Kingfisher found the perch within 15 minutes!



	Belted Kingfisher with Wingscapes BirdCam Wingscapes

	About Uploaded on Dec 23, 2007 The Wingscapes BirdCam http://www.wingscapes.com/ took this video of this female Belted Kingfisher as it fished from the top of a lakeside fish feeder. A new Bird Camera, BirdCam 2.0 with Flash, is available at http://www.wingscapes.com. It takes photos and videos of backyard birds and wildlife while you are away. Please feel free to leave comments and rate our videos.

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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Wally Knight 11/15/2023	Location: Shoreview Sitting on top of wood duck box.



Amy Carpenter 4/26/2022	Location: Vadnais Heights, Mn. Two photographers heard it. Very exciting. Dozens and dozens of different types of swallows darting and swarming for bugs just above the top of the lake.



Diana Hensley 1/3/2022	Location: 2 miles north of Kenneth, in tree next to waterway.



Jim Breza 7/10/2021	Location: Winona, MN I had one for the past week feeding on my goldfish, twice a day, that I know of. It is a smaller one but today I seen the small one and now a large Kingfisher, also. It is getting frustrating as they are feasting well. It is a large pond so I am thinking I will lay a net out over the water to discourage them and hopefully force them to move elsewhere. They are quite the site to watch, in action. We had a strong rain storm this week and that Fisher pulled three fish during the storm. The water was so distorted by the downpour I do not know how it could even see one fish through it but it was successful, all three times!



Dan W. Andree May 2021	Location: Norman Co., Mn. While out near a creek and bluff one day I was able to sneak up on a Kingfisher. I have seen them before but the spook real easy. While I was filming it I would at times try sneak a little over to get a better view through the trees since there was a breeze blowing the branches at times back and forth. One time while I was trying to do that when I stopped and focused the kingfisher in noticed a woodchuck was there. I believe it either came from down below or came down the bluff. There was a hole near the very top of the bluff. It climbed right back up. I didn’t expect a woodchuck to climb cup a sand bluff or that it even could but it did. I only got footage of where it is in the frame grab and it climbing back up. I didn’t follow it up since I was more focused on getting the kingfisher. Made it interesting. Nice setting for around here.



Bird lover 4/15/2021	Location: Woodbury, MN



Lynn Rubey 5/11/2020	Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A female Belted Kingfisher perched on a branch over a stream waiting for its next meal near the bridge in The Big Stone Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County.



Lynn Rubey 8/20/2019	Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A female Belted Kingfisher hanging out on a branch over a stream in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. The female Belted Kingfisher has a rusty colored breast band and flank.



Dan W. Andree 7/21/2019	Location: rural Norman Co., Mn. I believe this is a Kingfisher. I noticed it perched high above a stream on a dead tree limb in front of a sand cliff in rural Norman Co. Mn. It appeared to be watching the water area below possibly for any small fish etc. swimming in the stream. Made for an interesting photo.



Kate Fitzgerald 7/28/2018	Location: Lake Louise State Park I heard this Kingfisher make a loud SPLAT into the lake before I saw him fly up into a tree. I expected him to be carrying his catch, but apparently it got away from him because he was empty-handed.



Gloria Pfeifer 4/9/2016	Location: north shore of Lake Minnewaska, 1.5 miles from Starbuck,Mn we see one Belted Kingfisher on our shoreline every year, it stays for the summer, it sits in the trees along the shore and on the dock



MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Carley State Park Chamberlain Woods SNA Des Moines River SNA Flandrau State Park Fort Ridgely State Park Glacial Lakes Preserve Hastings SNA Kasota Prairie Keller Regional Park Lake Louise State Park Lake Rebecca Park Reserve Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, Lawrence Unit Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo Pin Oak Prairie SNA Plover Prairie, East Unit Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge St. Croix State Park Schoolcraft State Park Swedes Forest SNA Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA Whitetail Woods Regional Park Whitewater State Park