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.

Belted Kingfisher

If I ever get a photo of it I’ll be sure to share it with you.

Thanks for visiting.