Belted Kingfisher vs Eurasian Wren

Megaceryle alcyon comparé à Troglodytes troglodytes

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Belted Kingfisher Eurasian Wren
Nom scientifique Megaceryle alcyon Troglodytes troglodytes
Ordre Coraciiformes Passeriformes
Famille Alcedinidae Troglodytidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 9,5 cm (3.7 in)
Envergure 53,0 cm (20.9 in) 15,0 cm (5.9 in)
Poids 150,0 g (5.29 oz) 9,0 g (0.32 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager.
Taille de la couvée 6-7 3-9
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Belted Kingfisher 33,0 cm
Eurasian Wren 9,5 cm
Envergure
Belted Kingfisher 53,0 cm
Eurasian Wren 15,0 cm
Poids
Belted Kingfisher 150,0 g
Eurasian Wren 9,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Belted Kingfisher only

Eurasian Wren only

Belted Kingfisher

Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastlines with clear water and suitable perches. Nests in burrows dug into earthen banks.

Eurasian Wren

Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.

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Song & Call Comparison

Belted Kingfisher

Chant

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.

Eurasian Wren

Chant

Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.

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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.

Eurasian Wren

Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Belted Kingfisher

Least Concern

Eurasian Wren

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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.

Bec

Long, heavy, straight, dark dagger-like bill

Eurasian Wren

Plumage

Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.

Bec

Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill

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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.

Eurasian Wren

The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.

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