Friday, July 20, 2012

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher
 So what do belted kingfishers have in common with bank swallows and burrowing owls?  The belted kingfisher, like the other two for-mentioned species, nests underground. They dig a burrow in the bank of a river or creek. At first they use their strong beak to chip away at the dirt and mud of the bank. Once they have a burrow started they will flying into it and kick out the loose soil with their feet. The tunnel is usually from 3 to 8 feet long and slopes up so that the burrow is less likely to get flooded. Human activity, such as road construction and gravel pits, has actually helped to increase the amount of available nesting habitat for these birds.


6 comments:

  1. I've never seen a kingfisher, but your photo gives me that chance! I do, however, know lots of kingfisher poems. Here's one for you and your photo:

    Kingfisher

    That kingfisher jewelling upstream
    seems to leave a streak of itself
    in the bright air. The trees
    are all the better for its passing.

    It's not a mineral eater, though it looks it.
    It doesn't nip nicks out of the edges
    of rainbows. - It dives
    into the burly water, then, perched
    on a Japanese bough, gulps
    into its own incandescence
    a wisp of minnow, a warrior stickleback.
    - Or it vanishes into its burrow, resplendent
    Samurai, returning home
    to his stinking slum.

    Norman MacCaig

    ReplyDelete
  2. gorgeous bird shot....and thanx for teaching me something new...always appreciated....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful shot! Such an interesting bird.

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