KINGFISHER

any of about 90 species of birds making up the family Alcedinidae (order Coraciiformes), many of whom fish for their food. Kingfishers are worldwide in distribution but are chiefly tropical. They have large heads, long and massive bills, and compact bodies, and range in length from 10 to 45 cm (4 to 18 inches). The feet are small, and with a few exceptions, the tail is short or medium in length. Most species have bright plumage in bold patterns, and many are crested. Kingfishers are solitary birds that utter rattling or piping calls. The usual nest is a burrow in a sandbank or in a hollow tree, but some tropical species burrow in termite mounds. The typical kingfishers (subfamily Alcedininae) have narrow bills and plunge into the water for small fish, many also feeding on other small aquatic animals. The only widespread North American species, the belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), belongs to this subfamily. It is about 33 cm long and is coloured bluish gray above and across the breast and white below. The belted kingfisher lives entirely on fish, which it catches by diving headlong into the water. The fish is whacked against a branch a few times, then bolted entire. The forest kingfishers (subfamily Daceloninae), among which is the well-known kookaburra (q.v.) of Australia, have broader bills and are less closely associated with water. They feed on snakes, reptiles, and chicks.