Barn Swallow vs Belted Kingfisher

Hirundo rustica comparado com Megaceryle alcyon

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Barn Swallow Belted Kingfisher
Nome científico Hirundo rustica Megaceryle alcyon
Ordem Passeriformes Coraciiformes
Família Hirundinidae Alcedinidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento 19,0 cm (7.5 in) 33,0 cm (13.0 in)
Envergadura 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 53,0 cm (20.9 in)
Peso 19,0 g (0.67 oz) 150,0 g (5.29 oz)
Dieta Aerial insects caught in continuous agile flight, including flies, beetles, moths, and aphids. Drinks by … Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, …
Tamanho da postura 2-7 6-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Barn Swallow 19,0 cm
Belted Kingfisher 33,0 cm
Envergadura
Barn Swallow 33,0 cm
Belted Kingfisher 53,0 cm
Peso
Barn Swallow 19,0 g
Belted Kingfisher 150,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Barn Swallow only

Belted Kingfisher only

Nenhum

Barn Swallow

Open farmland, meadows, and areas near water. Nests almost exclusively in human-made structures such as barns, bridges, and eaves.

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

Barn Swallow

Canto

A rapid, twittering song: a long stream of 'vit-vit-vit' and rolling chirps. Also gives a sharp 'vit' flight call. Song can last many minutes without pause. Musical and liquid.

Belted Kingfisher

Canto

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Barn Swallow

Breeds across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters in South America, Africa, and South Asia.

Belted Kingfisher

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

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Estado de conservação

Least Concern

Barn Swallow

Least Concern

Belted Kingfisher

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How to Tell Them Apart

Barn Swallow

Plumagem

Metallic blue-black upperparts, rufous forehead and throat, and pale buff to rufous underparts. Deeply forked tail with elongated outer streamers.

Bico

Short, wide, flat black bill adapted for catching insects in flight

Belted Kingfisher

Plumagem

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.

Bico

Long, heavy, straight, dark dagger-like bill

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About These Birds

Barn Swallow

The barn swallow is the most widespread swallow species in the world and has one of the longest migrations of any passerine. Its arrival signals spring across the Northern Hemisphere, inspiring cultural references from ancient Greece to modern poetry. Barn swallows have become almost entirely dependent on human structures for nesting.

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.

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