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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Blue-eared Kingfisher	Belted Kingfisher
Scientific Name	Alcedo meninting	Megaceryle alcyon
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	33.0 cm (13.0 in)
Wingspan	13.0 cm (5.1 in)	53.0 cm (20.9 in)
Weight	23.5 g (0.83 oz)	150.0 g (5.29 oz)
Diet	--	Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, …
Clutch Size	3-7	6-7
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Blue-eared Kingfisher —

Belted Kingfisher 33.0 cm

Wingspan

Blue-eared Kingfisher 13.0 cm

Belted Kingfisher 53.0 cm

Weight

Blue-eared Kingfisher 23.5 g

Belted Kingfisher 150.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🏖️ Coastal

Blue-eared Kingfisher only

🌲 Forest

Belted Kingfisher only

🌿 Wetland

Belted Kingfisher

Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastlines with clear water and suitable perches. Nests in burrows dug into earthen banks.

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Song & Call Comparison

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Song

A loud, rattling 'klee-klee-klee-klee' — mechanical and penetrating. Given in flight along rivers. Also a harsh 'kekekek' near nest. Far louder than Common Kingfisher.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Least Concern

Belted Kingfisher

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How to Tell Them Apart

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Plumage

Blue-grey upperparts with a shaggy crest and a white collar. Males have a single blue-grey breast band; females have an additional rufous belly band.

Bill

Long, heavy, straight, dark dagger-like bill

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About These Birds

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

The belted kingfisher is unusual in that the female is more colorful than the male, sporting an additional rufous belly band. These noisy birds announce their territory with a distinctive rattling call. They excavate nesting burrows up to 2.4 meters deep into riverbanks using their heavy bills.

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Related Comparisons

Belted Kingfisher vs European Roller

look-alike

Common Kingfisher vs Belted Kingfisher

same-family

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