Belted Kingfisher Diet

The belted kingfisher is a species that exists throughout much of North America, subsisting on a diet that includes a great deal of fish. The bird lives along lakes, rivers, streams and saltwater estuaries, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds." The belted kingfisher is a loud, raucous bird that you can observe while it goes about its work of catching its meals.

  1. Types

    • The fish that the belted kingfisher seeks are typically less than four inches long and often swim close to the surface in shallow water. Species such as blunt-nosed minnows and bluegill sunfish are popular choices among the kingfishers. When the bird cannot find fish, it will eat animals such as lizards, salamanders, crabs and mice. Near the coast, the belted kingfisher will dine on oysters and squid.

    Technique

    • The kingfisher will either watch from a perch for fish or fly low over the water looking for them. The kingfisher can hover in place and, when it spies a potential dinner, the bird plummets downward into the water and enters it headfirst. If the kingfisher is successful at procuring the fish, it will take it back to its perch and pound it against the perch until the fish is dead. Then the kingfisher flips the bird upward into the air and catches it in its bill to swallow it headfirst.

    Geography

    • Most belted kingfishers have a preferred territory to fish in and they will defend it with vigor against any intruding kingfishers. The birds have favorite perches overlooking the waters with which they are familiar. The kingfisher will go from spot to spot and look into the water for signs of activity. In the northernmost parts of their geographic range, the kingfishers have to head south in the winter because they cannot catch fish through the ice.

    Teaching

    • The kingfisher parents feed the chicks regurgitated fish until the young are old enough to fly and to learn for themselves how to catch their meals. The parent fish will bring the young to a perch, then go out and catch a fish. Rather than give the dead fish to the young, the parent will drop it back into the water. The hungry young will attempt to dive in and grab the fish. In this way, the kingfishers eventually learn how to catch fish on their own.

    Considerations

    • The kingfisher requires habitat where the water quality is high and the fish supply is abundant. If the water is not clear enough for the kingfisher to see its prey, it will move on to another location. Fish hatcheries where fingerlings of different species exist need protective screens over them so the kingfishers do not get the chance to constantly eat the young fish.