I found these holes in the river bank recently that look like former nesting sites of belted kingfishers. The diet of belted kingfishers consists mostly of fish, so naturally, they usually choose a nest site near water. The nest location is in an earthen bank that is free from obstacles such as tree roots or rocks, which makes for easy digging. You can see in the photo that there aren’t any tree roots and the burrow is in a soft layer of silt that is above the layer of river stones. They’ll also pick a place high up on the bank to avoid potential floodwaters. This looks like a great location.
The kingfishers will create a burrow 3–6 feet into the bank that is angled upwards so that rainwater doesn’t drain down into the nest. At the end of the tunnel is a nesting space 8–12 inches in diameter and 6–7 inches high. The nestlings of Belted Kingfishers are able to digest the bones and scales they consume. Curiously, as they mature and are ready to leave the nest their digestive ability changes. The fish skeletons and invertebrate shells seemingly become undigestible and they start coughing up in pellets.
I waited until after the breeding season to venture along the river, especially in places where I was aware of potential nesting areas. In my experience, most birds prefer that people stay back from their nests. A good pair of binoculars is great for observing nests at a distance. That said, I feel kingfishers are exceptionally sensitive to human activity. So please avoid areas where you might suspect nesting kingfishers. One of the biggest threats to wildlife is the loss of habitat. I have to remind myself too that we need to be responsible stewards of nature and respect other creatures and their need for space to live and raise a family.
