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Belted Kingfisher
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More About Kingfishers ...
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Kingfishers are birds of the three closely related families Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water or belted kingfishers). There are about 90 species of kingfisher. All have large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. They are found throughout the world.
The taxonomy of the three families is complex and rather controversial. Although commonly assigned to the order Coraciiformes, from this level down confusion sets in.
The kingfishers were traditionally treated as one family, Alcedinidae with three subfamilies, but following the 1990s revolution in bird taxonomy, the three former subfamilies are now usually elevated to familial level; a move supported by chromosome and DNA-DNA hybridisation studies, but challenged on the grounds that all three groups are monophyletic with respect to the other Coraciiformes; which leads to them being grouped as the suborder Alcedines.
The tree kingfishers have been previously given the familial name Dacelonidae but Halcyonidae has priority.
Kingfishers live in both woodland and water. The Laughing Kookaburra, at 45 cm the world's largest kingfisher, is a woodland bird, while the European Kingfisher Alcedo atthis is always found near fresh water.
Kingfishers that live near water hunt small fish by diving. They also eat crayfish, frogs, and insects. Wood kingfishers eat reptiles. Kingfishers of all three families beat their prey to death, either by whipping it against a tree or by dropping it on a stone.
The Old World tropics and Australasia are the core area for this group. Europe and North America are very poorly represented with only one common kingfisher, (European and Belted Kingfishers respectively), and a couple of uncommon or very local species each: (Ringed Kingfisher and Green Kingfisher in the SE USA, Pied Kingfisher and White-breasted Kingfisher in SE Europe).
Even tropical South America has only five species plus wintering Belted Kingfisher. In comparison, the tiny African country of The Gambia has eight resident species in its 120 by 20 mile area.
The six species occurring in the Americas are four closely related green kingfishers in the genus Chloroceryle, and two large crested kingfishers in the genus Megaceryle, suggesting that the sparse representaion in the western hemisphere evolved from just two original colonising species.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: chordata
Class: aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family:
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Kingfishers
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INFO LINKS
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Belted Kingfisher
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Belted Kingfisher, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Green Kingfisher
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Green Kingfisher, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Ringed Kingfisher
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Ringed Kingfisher, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
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Gray-headed Kingfisher
Honolulu Zoo
Categorized information on behavior, diet, breeding, nesting, status, etc. Read More
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Malachite Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
About Malachite Kingfisher Read More
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Pied Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
About Pied Kingfisher Read More
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Striped Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
About Striped Kingfisher Read More
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Woodland Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
About Woodland Kingfisher Read More
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Pied Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Pied Kingfishers Read More
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Pygmy Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Pygmy Kingfishers Read More
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Striped Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Striped Kingfishers Read More
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Woodland Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Woodland Kingfishers Read More
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River Kingfisher
Yunnan Animal Museum
About River Kingfisher Read More
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Belted Kingfisher
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Interesting narrative. "Females have a chestnut band across the belly that is absent in males". Read More
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Malachite Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Brief categorized information. Read More
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Belted Kingfisher
eNature.com
"A pigeon-sized bird, blue-gray above, white below, with bushy crest, dagger-like bill".Pictures, Sounds, and information about Belted Kingfisher Read More
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Green Kingfisher
eNature.com
"Smallest of the three species found in the United States". Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, discussion, etc. Read More
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Ringed Kingfisher
eNature.com
"Similar to Belted Kingfisher but larger, and with more chestnut on belly". Categorized information on voice, diet, habitat, etc. Read More
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Kingfisher
Kiwi Wildlife Tours
"The sacred kingfisher is widely distributed throughout the Pacific, the New Zealand subspecies is vagans. It occupies a variety of habitats from coastal to well inland in forests. They are common birds, but it is not always easy to get a good view". Brief description. Read More
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Belted Kingfisher
Les Oiseaux du Québec (French)
About Belted Kingfisher Read More
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Belted Kingfisher
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Belted Kingfisher pictures, description, and more Read More
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Belted Kingfisher
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Extensive species account including range map, call details, 'cool facts', etc. Read More
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African Pygmy Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
"This is a small, brightly coloured, insectiverous species of woodlands and forests". Brief narrative. Read More
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Giant Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
Brief description. "A shy, fairly uncommon bird that likes wooded areas alongside permanent lakes and streams". Read More
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Grey-headed Kingfisher
Kenya Birds
Brief narrative. "A dry-country kingfisher of bush and woodland, often found near rivers or streams". Read More
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Brown-Hooded Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Brief categorized information. "They have a dull brown crown and red bill with black tip". Read More
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Giant Kingfisher
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Brief categorization. Read More
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Belted Kingfisher
The Longpoint schoolhouse
"The belted kingfisher, a short, plump bird of the family Alcedinidae". Brief narrative. Read More
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Micronesn Kingfisher
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links Read More
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Common Kingfisher
Oiseaux.net (French)
Categorized information on Common Kingfisher including habitat, feeding habits, migration information, etc. Read More
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Amazon Kingfisher
Birds in Suriname
Brief description, pictures, and distribution map for Surinam Read More
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Ringed Kingfisher
Birds in Suriname
Brief description, pictures, and distribution map for Surinam Read More
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Greater Pied Kingfisher
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More
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Ruddy Kingfisher
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More
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Black-Capped Kingfisher
web.edunet4u.net/~nature/ (Korean)
Brief description and picture Read More
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Azure Kingfisher
Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges
Narrative article about Azure Kingfisher. Facts Read More
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