Louisiana
Its plumage is black with bluish reflections, the tail is rounded, the bill high and thin, the depth at the nostril equaling or exceeding the distance from the nostril to the tip of the bill.
FAMILY ALCEDINIDE.
KINGFISHERS.
Kingfishers are most numerous in the Malay Archipelago, and the majority of the one hundred and eighty known species are found there. Only eight are American, and seven of these are confined to the tropics. They are solitary birds of somewhat local habit. All the American species are, as their name implies, fish-eaters, and are rarely found far from the water. Some of the Old-World species, however, are forestinhabiting and feed on small insects, mollusks, etc. 390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). BELTED KINGFISHER. (See Fig. 35.) Ad. 8.-Upper parts bluish gray; wings with small white spots, most of the feathers tipped with white, the inner web of the primaries white at the base; tail-feathers with numerous spots and broken bands of white; a white spot before the eye; throat white, this color passing on to the sides of the neck and nearly meeting on the back of the neck; a band across the breast, and WOODPECKERS. the sides bluish gray-in immature specimens tinged with rufous-lower breast and belly white. Ad. OF .-Similar to the male, but the sides and a band on the belly rufous. L., 13.02; W., 6·17; T., 3.60; B., 2.00. Range.-North America; breeds from Florida to Labrador, and winters from Virginia to South America.
Washington, common P. R. Sing Sing, common S. R., Apl. 1 to Nov. 23; casual in winter. Cambridge, common S. R., Apl. 10 to Oct. Nest, in a hole in a bank, about six feet from the entrance. Eggs, five to eight, white, 1.34 × 1.05.
The shores of wooded streams or ponds are the chosen haunts of the Kingfisher. Silently he perches on some limb overhanging the water, ever on the alert for food or foe. Paddle toward him as quietly as you please, just as you reach his danger line he drops from his perch and with loud, rattling call flies on ahead. This may be repeated several times, until finally the limits of his wanderings are reached, when he makes a wide detour and returns to the starting point. The Kingfisher hunts after the manner of the Fish Hawk. In passing over the water it needs only the glint of a shining fin or scale just beneath the surface to catch his watchful eye. On quickly moving wings he hovers over the place, waiting only a fair chance to plunge on the unsuspecting fish below. Emerging from the water with his prey in his bill, he shakes the spray from his plumage, and, with an exultant rattle, flies away to some favorite perch.