Belted Kingfisher vs Emu
Megaceryle alcyon compared with Dromaius novaehollandiae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Belted Kingfisher | Emu |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megaceryle alcyon | Dromaius novaehollandiae |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Casuariiformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae | Dromaiidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 20.0 cm (7.9 in) |
| Weight | 150.0 g (5.29 oz) | 45000.0 g (1587.33 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … | Plants, seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects. Swallows large stones and charcoal to grind food in … |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 5-24 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Belted Kingfisher
Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastlines with clear water and suitable perches. Nests in burrows dug into earthen banks.
Emu
Open grasslands, savanna woodlands, scrublands, and semi-arid plains across Australia. Avoids dense forest and true desert.
Song & Call Comparison
Belted Kingfisher
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.
Emu
Deep, resonant booming grunt 'e-moo', often repeated 3 times. Females give a deep drumming call produced by an inflatable throat pouch. Generally low-pitched and far-carrying.
Geographic Range & Migration
Belted Kingfisher
North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.
Emu
Throughout mainland Australia. Absent from Tasmania, where the Tasmanian emu was driven to extinction by 1850.
Conservation Status
Belted Kingfisher
Emu
How to Tell Them Apart
Belted Kingfisher
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.
Long, heavy, straight, dark dagger-like bill
Emu
Shaggy grey-brown plumage with double-shafted feathers giving a loose, hair-like appearance. Bare blue skin on the face and neck.
Broad, flat, dark grey bill
About These Birds
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.
Emu
The emu is the second-tallest living bird and the largest bird native to Australia. It is the only bird with calf muscles, enabling powerful running at up to 50 km/h. In the famous Emu War of 1932, the Australian military was deployed against crop-raiding emus — and the emus arguably won.