My curiosity led me to see and learn a new bird. When I took a walk at Peck Road Park on October 6, 2020, I saw something looking like a small plastic bag hanging on a branch. Somehow I saw it might be moving. I decided to take a picture. After zooming in I found it was a bird. Then I learned it is a belted kingfisher. The belted kingfisher is native to North America. It is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. They are common along streams and shorelines. During breeding season the belted kingfisher pair defends a territory against other kingfishers. Its nest burrow is usually in a dirt bank near water. The tunnel slopes upward from the entrance, perhaps to keep water from entering the nest. Tunnel length ranges from 1 to 8 feet. The belted kingfisher is often seen perched prominently on trees, posts, or other suitable “watchpoints” close to water before plunging in head first after its fish prey. They also eat amphibians, small crustaceans, insects, small mammals and reptiles.
我的好奇心讓我又看到並學到一種新的鳥類。2020年10月6日，當我在佩克路公園散步時，我看到樹枝上掛著一個看起來像小塑膠袋的東西，而且好像會動。所以我決定拍照看看是什麼東西。放大後，我發現它是一隻鳥。原來它是一隻帶魚狗。帶魚狗原產於北美洲。它是少數幾種雌性比雄性顏色鮮豔的鳥類。在整個北美的溪流和海岸線上很常見到它們。在繁殖季節，帶魚狗會保衛自己的領地，對抗其他魚狗。它的巢穴通常位於水邊的土堆中。隧道從入口處向上傾斜，也許是為了防止水進入巢穴。隧道長度範圍為1至8英尺。帶魚狗常棲息在靠近水的樹木，柱子或其他合適的“崗哨”上，然後頭先栽入水中去捕魚。它們還吃兩棲動物、小型甲殼動物、昆蟲、小型哺乳動物和爬行動物。
Image Gallery - Click to enlarge
Male Belted Kingfisher
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Female Belted Kingfisher
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| Range Map (Source: All About Birds) |
Notes
- The belted kingfisher is native to North America. The belted kingfisher is a stocky, medium-sized bird with a large head, shaggy crest and long thick dagger like bill. The adult female averages slightly larger than the adult male. The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. This bird is a powdery blue-gray; male has one blue band across the white breast, while female has a blue and a chestnut band.
- Belted Kingfishers are common along streams and shorelines across North America. This bird’s breeding habitat is near inland bodies of waters or coasts across most of North America, within Canada, Alaska and the United States. They migrate from the northern parts of its range to the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies in winter.
- The belted kingfisher is often seen perched prominently on trees, posts, or other suitable “watchpoints” close to water before plunging in head first after its fish prey. They also eat amphibians, small crustaceans, insects, small mammals and reptiles. As nestlings, Belted Kingfishers digest the bones and scales they consume, but by the time they leave the nest they begin disgorging pellets of fish skeletons and invertebrate shells.
- The nest burrow is usually in a dirt bank near water. The tunnel slopes upward from the entrance, perhaps to keep water from entering the nest. Tunnel length ranges from 1 to 8 feet. The male and the female take turns digging the burrow, with males spending about twice as much time digging as females.
- Belted Kingfishers spend most of the year alone until they pair up during the breeding season. Males (and occasionally females) establish territories. They are monogamous within each breeding season but form new pairs every year. The male feeds the female while courting her. Both members of the pair vigorously defend their territory by chasing away intruders while giving loud rattle calls.
- Belted kingfishers dive into the water to avoid hawks eating them.
- A group of belted kingfishers are collectively known as a “crown” and a “rattle” of kingfishers.
- 帶魚狗原產於北美洲。帶魚狗是一種粗壯的中型鳥類，頭部很大，羽冠粗長而蓬亂，喙又長又粗，像匕首一樣。成年母鳥的平均體型略大於成年公鳥。帶魚狗是少數幾種母鳥比公鳥顏色鮮豔的鳥類。這鳥是粉藍灰色。公鳥在白色胸腔上有一個藍色帶，而母鳥則有藍色和栗子色的帶。
- 帶魚狗在整個北美的溪流和海岸線上很常見。這種鳥類的繁殖棲息地位於北美大部分地區(加拿大，阿拉斯加和美國境內)的內陸水域或海岸附近。它們在冬天從分佈區的北部遷移到美國南部，墨西哥，中美洲和西印度群島。
- 帶魚狗常棲息在靠近水的樹木，柱子或其他合適的“崗哨”上，然後頭先栽入水中去捕魚。它們還吃兩棲動物、小型甲殼動物、昆蟲、小型哺乳動物和爬行動物。作為雛鳥，帶魚狗會消化它們吃下的骨頭和鱗片，但當它們離開巢穴時，它們會開始吐出魚骨和無脊椎動物殼的糞球。
- 巢穴通常位於水邊的土堆中。隧道從入口處向上傾斜，也許是為了防止水進入巢穴。隧道長度範圍為 1 至 8 英尺。雄鳥和雌鳥輪流挖洞，雄鳥挖洞的時間大約是雌鳥的兩倍。
- 帶魚狗在一年中的大部分時間都單獨度過，直到它們在繁殖季節才配對。公鳥(有時是母鳥)建立地盤，領地意識很強。它們在每個繁殖季節都是一夫一妻制，但每年會重新結成新對。公鳥在向母鳥求婚時，公鳥會餵養母鳥。當面對入侵者時，夫婦倆都會大聲發出嘎嘎聲，追趕入侵者，積極捍衛自己的領土。
- 帶魚狗會潛入水中以避免鷹吃它們。
- 形容一羣帶魚狗，通常是用”crown”及”rattle”來當數辭。
Birds Posts 鳥的帖子
References
- Wikipedia: Belted kingfisher
- All about birds: Belted Kingfisher