Ringed kingfisher
| Ringed kingfisher | |
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| Species: | M. torquata
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| Megaceryle torquata (Linnaeus, 1766)
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The ringed kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) is a large, conspicuous and noisy kingfisher commonly found along the lower Rio Grande valley in southeasternmost Texas in the United States through Central America to Tierra del Fuego in South America.
The breeding habitat is areas near large bodies of water, usually in heavily wooded areas where it finds a perch to hunt from. It is mostly a sedentary species, remaining in territories all year long.
It is 40 to 41 cm (16–16 in) long, with deep blue or bluish-gray plumage with white markings, a shaggy crest and a broad white collar around the neck. Its most distinguishing characteristic is the entirely rufous belly, which also covers the entire breast of the male. Females are more colorful than the male and have a bluish-gray breast and a narrow white stripe separating the breast from the belly.
These birds nest in a horizontal tunnel made in a river bank or sand bank. The female lays 3 to 6 eggs. Both parents excavate the tunnel, incubate the eggs and feed the young.
It is often seen perched prominently on trees, posts, or other suitable "watchpoints" close to water before plunging in head first after its fish prey. They also eat insects and small amphibians.
Their voice is a loud, penetrating rattle given on the wing and when perched.
The Megaceryle kingfishers were formerly placed in the genus Ceryle with the pied kingfisher, but the latter is genetically closer to the American green kingfishers.[citation needed]
Gallery
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Ringed kingfisher near Hornopirén, Chile
References
- ^ Template:IUCN
- ^ "Megaceryle torquata". Avibase.
External links
- Ringed kingfisher stamps for Antigua, Dominica, Nevis, Nicaragua, Suriname at bird-stamps.org
- "Ringed kingfisher media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Ringed kingfisher photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Ringed Kingfisher species account at Neotropical Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Megaceryle
- Birds of Mexico
- Birds of the U.S. Rio Grande Valleys
- Birds of Central America
- Birds of Nicaragua
- Birds of South America
- Birds of the Guianas
- Birds of the Amazon Basin
- Birds of Tierra del Fuego
- Birds of Antigua and Barbuda
- Birds of Dominica
- Birds of Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Fauna of the U.S. Rio Grande Valleys
- Animals described in 1766