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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Belted Kingfisher	Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher
Scientific Name	Megaceryle alcyon	Tanysiptera sylvia
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	33.0 cm (13.0 in)	—
Wingspan	53.0 cm (20.9 in)	18.8 cm (7.4 in)
Weight	150.0 g (5.29 oz)	51.0 g (1.80 oz)
Diet	Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, …	--
Clutch Size	6-7	3
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Belted Kingfisher 33.0 cm

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher —

Wingspan

Belted Kingfisher 53.0 cm

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher 18.8 cm

Weight

Belted Kingfisher 150.0 g

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher 51.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌿 Wetland

Belted Kingfisher only

🏖️ Coastal

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher only

🌲 Forest

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

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.

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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Geographic Range & Migration

Belted Kingfisher

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

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Belted Kingfisher

Least Concern

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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How to Tell Them Apart

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

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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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.

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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Related Comparisons

Belted Kingfisher vs European Roller

look-alike

Common Kingfisher vs Belted Kingfisher

same-family

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