A loud rattling noise was heard in the direction of the Sibley pond. Soon the source of the noise was located when a large, bluish-gray bird flew back and forth. It obligingly came and sat on a tree above the birders. It had a long, heavy bill, a head that seemed much too large for its body, a prominent crest, small feet and almost no tail. While its back and head were slate blue, it had a white ring around its neck and a blue band across its white breast. Even beginner birders quickly identify this striking bird as a Belted Kingfisher.

The Belted Kingfisher's scientific name is Megaceryle halcyon. The adjective "halcyon" means calm and peaceful. Certainly his rattling call is far from peaceful, but he does sit peacefully and quietly on his perch, and so perhaps deserves his name. If you have ever lived near a four-year old with a tricycle, with which he likes to drag a can up and down the sidewalk, you know what a Belted Kingfisher sounds like.

It was a male, for the female has a second band, a red one, below the blue chest band. Legend has it that the Kingfisher was originally a somberly colored bird, but that when a Kingfisher was liberated from Noah's ark and flew toward the setting sun, the sky was reflected from its back, while its breast was scorched by the rays of the sun, and ever afterwards its plumage showed the colors of the evening sky.

The Belted Kingfisher is one of the most widely distributed birds in North America. Except in the far north, there is not a lake, stream or river that does not have a Kingfisher some time during the year. In Midland County, these birds are usually seen only during the winter. They may be seen at stock tanks on ranches, near playa lakes when there has been enough rain to fill the lakes, and even in town near goldfish ponds. In Howard County, Belted Kingfishers spend the winter at Moss Creek Lake. They also winter along the Pecos River.

Kingfishers are not after the same prey as human fishermen. They catch minnows and other small fish less than six inches long. They can do tremendous damage in a fish hatchery if wire screens do not protect the ponds. A large part of their diet is composed of crawfish, frogs, and even water beetles if the fishing is bad. Local naturalists watched one eating a salamander. Kingfishers have two methods of hunting. They may perch quietly on a limb (or wire) ten or fifteen feet above the water, then plunge suddenly feet first into the water when they see a fish. Or they may hunt on the wing, stopping to hover slightly when they see prey, then plunging down to grasp the tiny fish. They necessarily have to fish in clear water, so they can see the fish before diving into the water.

When Kingfishers are ready to raise a family, they first dig a long burrow in a sandy bank. These burrows are usually 3 to 6 feet long, but may be as long as ten feet. They dig the burrow as near water as possible, and if no bank is available at their fishing hole, they will dig in the nearest suitable location, such as a railroad embankment or a road cut. A nesting chamber is excavated at the end of the burrow. The eggs are laid on bare sand. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the nestlings. At first the young are fed food regurgitated by the adults but before they fledge the adults bring them small fish, insects and frogs. Adults teach fledglings to fish by dropping dead meals into the water for the young to retrieve. Like owls, kingfishers eject bones and other indigestibles in pellets.

This story was written by the late Frances Williams, my mother, for the Midland Naturalist's newsletter, "The Phalarope," which she edited for 35 years. She was the pioneer ornithologist in West Texas, a founding member of the Texas Ornithological Society, a regional editor for the Audubon publication "American Birds," and the contributor of the Cassin's Sparrow chapter for Arthur Bent's encyclopedic "Life History of American Birds." The Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count season always brings thousands of memories of her to me, for we shared many wonderful experiences during more than 100 Christmas Counts.

Construction update: The roof to the wildlife observation room has been started. Concrete has been poured for the floor of the barn and storage building. It is exciting to see the buildings begin to take shape! We hope you will consider joining the Sibley Nature Center as a member, and help us continue teaching the residents of the Llano Estacado (and the world via our Web site) about our home bioregion. 2010 promises to be an amazing year!