Belted Kingfisher

• reproducciónIt digs a horizontal tunnel up to a metre deep into a river or lake bank to nest, rather than nesting in trees as other birds do.
• The female is more colourful than the male, with an extra chestnut band across the belly: a reversal of the usual pattern found in only a handful of bird families.
• It digs a tunnel of up to two metres into a bank with its bill and feet, sloping slightly upwards so that water cannot get in and droppings drain out.
• It appeared on the Canadian five-dollar note during the 1980s and 1990s, one of the few common birds to have illustrated a national currency.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat and environment

Rivers, lakes, estuaries and coasts with clear water and earth banks in which to dig the nest

Sexual maturity

12 months

Gestation / incubation

23 days of incubation

Litter / clutch size

6 eggs

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Megaceryle alcyon