Belted Kingfisher vs White-tailed Eagle
Megaceryle alcyon compared with Haliaeetus albicilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Belted Kingfisher | White-tailed Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Megaceryle alcyon | Haliaeetus albicilla |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Alcedinidae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 84.0 cm (33.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 225.0 cm (88.6 in) |
| Weight | 150.0 g (5.29 oz) | 5200.0 g (183.42 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … | Fish, waterfowl, and carrion. Often pirates food from other birds. Takes fish from the water … |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 1-3 |
| 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.
White-tailed Eagle
Coastlines, large lakes, and rivers with mature trees or cliffs for nesting. Requires large undisturbed areas.
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.
White-tailed Eagle
High-pitched, yelping 'klee-klee' and deep barking 'ra-ra-ra'. Less vocal than Bald Eagle but similar chattering quality. Gives gull-like wailing near nest in breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Belted Kingfisher
North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.
White-tailed Eagle
Northern Europe and Asia from Greenland and Scandinavia to Japan. Reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland.
Conservation Status
Belted Kingfisher
White-tailed Eagle
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
White-tailed Eagle
Brown body with a paler head in adults and a distinctive short white wedge-shaped tail. Massive broad wings in flight. Juveniles are darker overall.
Very large, heavy, pale yellow 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.
White-tailed Eagle
The white-tailed eagle is Europe's largest eagle and the fourth-largest eagle in the world. Once extinct in Britain, it has been successfully reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland through conservation programs. These powerful raptors can live over 25 years and form lifelong pair bonds.