Belted Kingfisher vs Griffon Vulture
Megaceryle alcyon compared with Gyps fulvus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Belted Kingfisher | Griffon Vulture |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megaceryle alcyon | Gyps fulvus |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 100.0 cm (39.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 260.0 cm (102.4 in) |
| Weight | 150.0 g (5.29 oz) | 8500.0 g (299.83 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … | Exclusively carrion, primarily large mammal carcasses. Feeds communally, with groups of vultures able to strip … |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Belted Kingfisher only
Griffon Vulture only
Belted Kingfisher
Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastlines with clear water and suitable perches. Nests in burrows dug into earthen banks.
Griffon Vulture
Mountains, cliffs, and open grasslands. Nests on cliff ledges in colonies. Requires thermals for soaring flight.
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.
Griffon Vulture
Generally silent; hisses and grunts at carrion with other vultures. Gives low croaking 'arrr' near nest. At colonies produces cackling and grunting — not melodic vocalizations.
Geographic Range & Migration
Belted Kingfisher
North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.
Griffon Vulture
Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Resident in most of its range.
Conservation Status
Belted Kingfisher
Griffon Vulture
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
Griffon Vulture
Tawny-brown body with darker flight feathers. White neck ruff and bare greyish head. Long broad wings held flat when soaring.
Hooked yellowish bill adapted for tearing carrion
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.
Griffon Vulture
The griffon vulture is one of Europe's largest flying birds and a crucial scavenger in Mediterranean ecosystems. These social birds nest in large cliff colonies and can soar for hours using thermals without flapping. Vulture populations faced a crisis from the veterinary drug diclofenac, which proved fatal when consumed through contaminated carcasses.