Kingfishers

Belted Kingfisher, male

Belted Kingfisher, female has chestnut band

Here are some photos I took of Belted Kingfishers, common birds who breed near water areas across much of the U.S. and Canada and winter across much of the lower two-thirds of the country.
We have them in summer on the pond where we live in NH, but they've migrated by now. I miss seeing them and hearing their familiar rattling call. The female is more brightly colored than the male and has the chestnut orange band across her chest. These kingfishers hunt small fish by hovering, then diving head first into the water. I love to watch them hover high in the air, their wings flashing like signal flags.
There are two more kingfishers found in the U.S. The Ringed Kingfisher is found in southern TX. The Green Kingfisher lives in southern TX and a few are found in southeastern AZ.
The November issue of National Geographic has an article and photos of the brilliantly colored Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) of Europe, to see the online article and gorgeous photos, go here.