#1042 · 🐦 birds

Belted Kingfisher

🇳🇱 Bandijsvogel ·Megaceryle alcyon

LCleast concern 🐦 Birds 📍 in Europe, not in NL

9 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

The belted kingfisher ( Megaceryle alcyon ) is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada. It is depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $5 note. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests that this should be divided into three subfamilies.

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 91,033iNaturalist observations
weight 147 gadult, up to
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
91,033 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Weighs only about 147 g.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).