Belted Kingfisher vs King Penguin
Megaceryle alcyon compared with Aptenodytes patagonicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Belted Kingfisher | King Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megaceryle alcyon | Aptenodytes patagonicus |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Sphenisciformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae | Spheniscidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 95.0 cm (37.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 64.0 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 150.0 g (5.29 oz) | 14000.0 g (493.84 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … | Primarily lanternfish and squid caught during deep dives. Routinely dives to 100-300 meters, sometimes exceeding … |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 1 |
| 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.
King Penguin
Breeds on sub-Antarctic islands with flat or gently sloping beaches. Forages in the Southern Ocean.
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.
King Penguin
Uses individually unique complex calls for mate and chick recognition in noisy colonies. Produces a loud, musical trumpeting. Chick whistles are distinctive per family unit.
Geographic Range & Migration
Belted Kingfisher
North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.
King Penguin
Sub-Antarctic islands including South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Macquarie, and Falkland Islands.
Conservation Status
Belted Kingfisher
King Penguin
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
King Penguin
Dark blue-grey back with white belly. Vivid orange-gold auricular patches on the sides of the head and upper breast. Silvery-grey upperparts.
Long, slender, slightly decurved bill with orange mandible plates
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.
King Penguin
The king penguin is the second-largest penguin species, known for its striking orange-gold head markings. Unlike most penguins, king penguins do not build nests — they incubate their single egg on their feet. Their 14-16 month breeding cycle is the longest of any penguin species.