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
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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.
Niau Kingfisher
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Geographic Range & Migration
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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.
Niau Kingfisher
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Belted Kingfisher
Not Evaluated
Niau Kingfisher
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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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
Niau Kingfisher
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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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More Birds in Family
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