For several weeks I have been seeing a bird that I did not recognize at the farm. I never got a close look, just observed it in flight before it disappeared into the treetops surrounding the pond. It had features similar to a large woodpecker. The pileated woodpecker is known to live in our area but try as I might I could never see any red on this bird like the woodpecker would have.
It wasn’t until today that I realized that this was the same bird that my husband witnessed diving into the pond and coming up with a fish dinner. Today I saw the same. While I wasn’t able to get any pictures of it, I did get a better look. I already knew that it was mostly grey and had a black head and long beak. Today I was able to see some brown markings underneath and a white ring around its neck. I made a mental note of that so I could search for it on the internet when I got home.
Mystery solved! I discovered it is a Belted Kingfisher, and I will say that it lives up to its name. At least six times over the course of an hour I saw it dive from the top of a tree into the pond and come up with a fish. One time it stopped and hovered in the air, wings flapping, then dove down into the water. Each time it came up it would fly to a high branch of a nearby tree, presumably to consume its prey.
You can click on the link below to see photos and learn more about the Belted Kingfisher.
If I ever get a photo of it I’ll be sure to share it with you.
Thanks for visiting.
Don't Eat It! Soap and Skin Care 
That’s exciting! We get a lot of interesting birds on our property too—always a treat to get a new one you’ve never seen before!
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Indeed, it is. And it challenges me to learn about them.
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Neat story. I live in central West Virginia way out in the boonies and one visits our little creek quite often. Interesting bird.
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Thanks! Sounds like some good fishing in your little creek. 🙂
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Yesss! My favorite occupation as a kid!
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How wonderful for you. I have never seen one before. I just don’t want him eating all your fish.
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That thought has crossed my mind too, Nancy.
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We have Belted Kingfishers here too. 🙂
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I didn’t know we had them here. this is the first year I have seen them. I think they just discover our dining room (pond). 🙂
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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I have never seen one. I don’t think they live in my area.
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I didn’t know they lived in our area until seeing this one. For obvious reasons they do tend to live near a body of water.
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I’ve only seen one Belted Kingfisher while on the Gateway Trail in Dearborn, but it was too far away to get a good picture. I have done some sketches of a Kingfisher recently, in different poses with a fish in its mouth. I hope to see one someday in person!
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I hope you get to see one too, Linda.
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I hope so too Ruth. You’ll be the first to know!
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🙂
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It is exciting that you saw a belted kingfisher. I saw one several times, flying over the nearest large stream.
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It is exciting. Did you know what it was? Did you see it dive?
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I saw and heard the belted kingfisher on Long Island. I don’t think I saw it dive, but I did hear its distinctive sound while flying. It was the sound that alerted me at the stream a mile from my home. I saw the bird at a fairly close distance. There was no mistaking what it was.
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It certainly does demand attention with its call.
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