There are three species of kingfisher that inhabit the North American continent, the eastern belted, the western belted, and the ringed kingfisher. The latter is found in Central North America and rarely comes into the extreme southern edges of the United States. It is the largest of the three found in North America.

The belted kingfisher occurs in nearly all of North America, breeding from Northern Alaska and Labrador southward to the southern border of the United States. The western variety is intermediate in size, a little larger than the eastern variety.

Although none of our kingfishers is as gaudily covered as some of their foreign relatives, it is nonetheless a strikingly beautiful bird, predominantly blue in color and unique in both form and voice. The bill is long and heavy. The crest makes the large head look even larger. The little feet and short tail are in such sharp contrast that the overall form of the bird, when perched, seems top-heavy. However, since the kingfisher has a diet made up primarily of small fish, the heavy beak and the form of its head is ideal for use in its deep plunges. The stocky build is well able to withstand the shock of frequent dives for food. The kingfisher is essentially a fish-eating bird so its haunts are naturally near large or small bodies of water that contain an abundant supply of small fish. It is rather common along the seacoast and nearby estuaries, where it may be seen perched on some piling or pier watching for its prey. I am personally more familiar with it on smaller brooks and trout streams in mountainous areas.

When the kingfisher is disturbed, its rather raucous, rattling cry draws immediate attention, and because of the size and color it is observed as it patrols a well defined territory. Kingfishers seem to prefer to land or perch on a snag or leafless limb that offers an unobstructed view of the water. If you are inclined, you may, by waiting quietly, be rewarded by seeing one dive from its perch straight down into the water ( the only bird to do so ) and come up with a small fish two or four inches long. After alighting once more on its perch, it will thump its prey on the perch a few times, then toss it into the air to deftly catch and swallow it head first. They are solitary birds and like to fish alone, except during nesting season.

The nest of the kingfisher is almost always in a deep burrow, in a sandy clay, or gravelly bank. It is dug by both the male and female. They use their strong beak to loosen the soil, and their little shovel-like feet to kick out the dirt. They seem to prefer a sheer bank or cliff near a favorite fishing ground, but sometimes they must go a long distance from water to find a suitable nesting site. Thee burrows are quite deep, extending inward and slightly upward for from three to six or eight feet.The tunnel ends in a chamber in which a sparse nest is built. Depending on the consistency of the soil, the pair might take from three days to three weeks to complete a suitable home. If undisturbed, they may use the same burrow each succeeding year as it would only require a little housecleaning to prepare it for the new brood.

The female lays from six to ten pure white eggs, the commonest number being six or seven. The incubation period is from 23 to 24 days. There is some dispute as to whether the male helps in sitting on the eggs, but one observer stated he had found the male on the nest while the female was fishing. The nestlings may be observed by digging a hole, coming in from the rear of the nest cavity. If the hole is plugged carefully after each observation, the birds don't seem to mind, and will continue the chore of rearing their young. The overall form of the young is so out of proportion they look almost comical; the large, wobbly beak and head atop the skinny, naked, gangly bodies. They do not open their eyes for two weeks. They cling to each other, possibly for warmth for the mother's legs are so short she can't stand over them to keep them warm. However, the nest cavity, deep in the earth, offers good protection from the weather. Despite their appearance to us humans, the parent birds must love them for they are both quite attentive to their needs in both feeding and keeping the nest clean. One observer stated the food brought to the young for the first week was partly digested and regurgitated directly into the babies' mouths.

After seven days, tiny fish one or two inches in length were introduced to the young and by the 30th day, the young, fully feathered, had left the nest and could be seen perched together over the water or practicing short, erratic flights between feedings. It was at this time the parents began to teach the babies to dive for their own fish. One or the other would come in with a fish three or four inches long and alight near the young birds who were clamoring to be fed. However, instead of giving it to one of the young birds, it would be dropped into the water. The young birds would crane their necks and stare hungrily at their dinner as it lay on the water below. Soon one, hungrier or bolder than the other, would make a headlong dive for it. For a day or two their aim was so poor that they often missed, but by hovering over the water they would be able to seize it. In a few days they learned to be as accurate as the parent birds. Upon seizing the fish, they would return to the perch, whack it on the perch a time or two, toss it into the air, catch it by the head and swallow it headfirst. Within a week the parents, convinced that their young were proficient fishers, abandoned them completely. Within another week the young birds had dispersed and left the area to find fishing territories of their own.

Sometimes fish hatchery raceways must be screened to protect trout fingerling from the kingfishers' relentless depredation. Nonetheless, the belted kingfisher is a picturesque and eye-catching feature of the landscape, in action or at rest. The sight of one should add pleasure to any observer, whether driving along the coast or fishing some remote trout stream in the mountains.