Some birds can be notoriously difficult to photograph. The Belted Kingfisher is a member of that group.
These little grey-and-white birds never seem to sit still for very long – preferring to flit about as they look for a fish or shrimp to catch from a pond, river or lagoon. They also have keen eyesight – so even if they are sitting still, they often dart away when they spot a camera being raised with a lens trained on them
And that’s why it’s such a challenge to photograph them – and so rewarding when you’re successfully able to do it.
I got some good pictures of Belted Kingfishers recently at the Orlando Wetlands. Though AllAboutBirds.org says they are year-round residents in most of Florida, the seem to disappear from the wetlands for several months in late spring and early summer. I think it was back in August that I finally saw my first one in few months.
In October and early November I realized I can see (and hear!) multiple ones every time I visit the wetlands.
Two interesting facts about Belted Kingfishers:
First, they sound like little machine guns when they call out while flying. You’ll hear them well before you see them.
Second, unlike most birds, the female of the species is more colorful. Males have the gray belt around their chest, but the females also have a brown/rust colored belt. It does make it easy to tell the sexes apart.
While some of these are my favorite photos that I have taken of Belted Kingfishers, I am hoping there’s more ahead in the next few months while they are residing at the wetlands.
