Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
In most species the male is the most colorful, but in the Belted Kingfisher the male has just the gray chest stripe, and the female has both the gray stripe and an orangish stirpe below the gray stripe. The Belted Kingfisher is the only species of kingfisher we have in Washington State, though there are several other species in other parts of North America.
This is a female Belted Kingfisher. In general our kingfishers are skittish, not allowing close approach for photos, so I felt fortunate to get the photo of the male at the top of this post when it flew to a nearby perch earlier this week.
Belted Kingfishers typically hunt from a perch, but sometimes hover over water and dive bill-first into the water to capture small fish. They have a loud rattle-like call which is often heard before the bird is seen.
Like most kingfishers their bill is disproportionately huge compared to the rest of their body. In some of the smaller species of kingfisher this is even more dramatic.
Good birding.
