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504.731.7083a trail for bird watchers
that’s really something to tweet aboutThe next time you fly the coop, visit
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home to hundreds of species of birds.
Bring your flock to sportsman’s paradise!Outdoor Adventures | Louisiana Cuisine | Premier ShoppingFinding Belted Kingfisher
Where to look: Rivers, creeks,
lakes, bays, marshes, and
canals with clear moving water
attract this species. Look for
places where overhanging
branches provide perches that
allow an unobstructed view
of the water to maximize the
kingfisher’s fishing success and
the availability of vertical earthen
banks for nest burrows. Belted
Kingfishers spend much of their
time perched alone along the
edges of waterways, searching
for small fish. They are also
often seen perched on telephone
wires, where they can view the
water below.
When to look: During winter and
migration, this species may be
found in almost any waterside
habitat with clear water suitable
for fishing. In the breeding
season, it is more restricted to
areas with suitable dirt banks for
nesting holes, which may or may
not be near water. The species
occurs year-round in most of the
lower 48 states and along the
coasts of British Columbia and
southeast Alaska, although it
is sometimes forced to migrate
during winter if it can’t find open
water for fishing.How to find them: Scan with
your naked eye for a white spot
in the trees along waterways; the
kingfisher’s white collar stands
out against the backdrop of
trees and rocky hillsides. Often
heard before it is seen, it issues
a signature rattle call when an
intruder is in the area. Kingfishers
sometimes make long commuting
flights over fields and forests, far
from water, so be prepared for
the occasional surprise flyover
wherever you are birding. Their
flight when traveling is strong,
swift, and graceful, often five or
six rapid strokes followed by a
long glide on half-closed wings.availability of suitable nesting sites
— earthen banks where birds can
excavate their nest — is critical to the
distribution of this species. Any
events that alter the characteristics of
waterways, such as erosion, water
pollution, and drought, can have
disastrous consequences on
kingfisher populations. On the other
hand, human activity such as road
building and digging gravel pits
creates new nesting sites, allowing
the expansion of the breeding range.
This year, a pair of kingfishers
nested in the creek bank close to
where I f lushed the one mentioned
earlier. I was happy to see them
because the county put in a new ball
field nearby, and I feared the
increased activity would drive them
away. The last time I was there, I
continued to hear them, so perhaps
the kingfishers have learned to
tolerate some disturbance as long as
they can still hunt for fish and rear
their young in safety.
Because Belted Kingfishers eat a
diet comprised primarily of fish,
they are useful bioindicators of water
quality. The fact that they are nesting
in our area means that our creeks are
healthy. But like many other
communities in the East, ours is
growing in human population. I can
only hope that our waterways will
remain clean and able to sustain the
small fish that attract this solitary
fisher. Despite its mistrust of people,
the pluck, tenacity, and uniqueness
of this species earn it a high rank on
my list of favorite birds.Jo Ann Abell is a freelance writer from
Lexington, Virginia, where she lives on
a farm with her husband and three
dogs. She wrote about birds that nest
near human structures in our July/
August 2018 issue. Ms. Abell has also
written for Bird Watcher’s Digest and
Virginia Wildlife.