Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfishers are often wary birds to photograph. They are infamous for their eating fish, which they catch near the water surface. Kingfishers usually require clear water in which to hunt.  They use the white spots between the bill and their eye to aim at their prey. As they hit the water, however, their eyes are closed. They plunge headfirst into the water, but do not usually submerge. Kingfishers prefer small fish. After returning to their perches, the birds often pound their prey. This action aligns the fish so that the prey is swallowed head-first and may also remove sharp fish spines. Belted Kingfishers also take other prey like mollusks, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and berries (Kelly et al. 2009).