Female Belted Kingfisher bird photo by Brian E Kushner via Birdshare

All About Birds is one of the best websites for help with bird identification and for answers to things we want to know about birds.

In a recent article on All About Birds about color differences between male and female birds, it was pointed out that in many species, the male bird is the more colorful.  But for the Belted Kingfisher species, the kingfisher female has an extra rust-colored band which looks like a belt and which makes her stand out.  What might be the reason for the color differences between male and female kingfisher birds?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Belted Kingfisher, male of the species. Photo by Brian E Kushner via Birdshare

The Belted Kingfisher is a startling blue-color bird which is always found close to bodies of water, and can be found throughout North America.

Kingfisher birds may migrate in winter but it is not unusual for some kingfishers to stay in their “home territory” over the winter.  It is thought that, because the bird is territorial, male kingfishers may want to stay to defend their turf and await the return of females in the spring.  The All About Birds article about kingfishers, postulates that females are marked with a rust-colored band to distinguish them for “welcome” by the territorial males.