Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)


Group	Kingfishers
Code	ABNXD01020
Order	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae
Author	(Linnaeus, 1758)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	SM (definitions)
Scale	N (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Forested or Nonforested Landscapes

Breeding Season:
      (Lake or Pond or River)

   neighboring:
      Banks (within 2km)

Non-breeding Season:
      (Lake or Pond or River)

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	no	no	no	no	no	no
Assorted Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Lake, Pond, River
Special Features	Banks

view size class definitions

Literature:

Hamas, M. J. 1991. Belted Kingfisher. Pages 258-259 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: Kingfishers require clear, unobstructed water in order to detect their prey. Consequently, turbidity, wave action, dense aquatic vegetation, or overgrown shoreline vegetation may play a decisive role in where the species occurs.

The availability of suitable nest sites is an additional factor influencing kingfisher occurrence. Optimal sites are generally near water where a subterranean burrow is excavated in an eroded bank devoid of vegetation. Additional nest sites may be produced by human activity; some are 2 km or more from water. Kingfishers occasionally select exceptional nest sites that have included the top of a decaying stump, soil caked among the roots of a fallen tree, and holes in dead trees and stumps.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Banks near ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams that contain fish. Wintering: Near ice-free waters that allow access to food.

Special Habitat Requirements: Banks for nest sites within a mile of water. Water with low turbidity and adequate food supply. Perches near water for sighting prey.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Streams, lakes, bays coasts; nests in banks. During winter and migration may be found in almost any waterside habitat, including the edges of small streams and ponds, large rivers and lakes, marshes, estuaries, and rocky coastlines; seems to require only clear water for fishing. During breeding season, more restricted to areas with suitable dirt banks for nesting holes.

Diet: Mostly small fish. Typically feeds on small fish, usually those less than 4-5 inches long. Also eats crayfish, frogs, tadpoles, aquatic insects. Occasionally takes prey away from water, including small mammals, young birds, lizards. Reported to eat berries at times.

Nest: Site is in steep or vertical dirt bank, usually with higher content of sand than clay. Both sexes take part in digging a long horizontal tunnel with nest chamber at end. Tunnel is generally 3-6 feet long and usually slopes upward from entrance. Rarely nests in tree cavity. Usually no lining added to nest chamber, but debris and undigested fish bones and scales may accumulate.