Birdland: Going Fishing
Belted Kingfishers are sort of the punk rockers of the bird world, with thick, dagger-like bills, stocky bodies, and shaggy crests. The females are blue-grey, with a chestnut belly band and flanks. Males are the same color, but without the chestnut markings. Kingfishers are highly territorial, and spend much of their time perched alone in trees along the edges of streams and lakes looking for small fish. When they spot one they either plunge directly from their perch to capture it, or they hover over the water, with their bill downward, before diving in. Photo by Mark Silverstein