Kingfishers, Costa Rica. 1/9-1/19/2024

I remember the first time that I ever heard the "rattle" of a Belted Kingfisher as it perched above the water, and I have been hooked ever since on this species of bird. The photo below was taken in the fall in Plymouth, MA, and it remains one of my favorites.

I never really contemplated other species of this bird as the Belted Kingfisher is the only one found in MA or, in fact, New England. When Jose and I traveled to Costa Rica last week on a birding trip with Costa Rica Focus, we were thrilled to see our Belted Kingfisher as well as four other species in this family. We saw an American Pygmy Kingfisher which is the smallest in the Americas at a mere five inches as well as a Ringed Kingfisher which is the largest in the Americas at a whopping sixteen inches. For comparison, the Belted Kingfisher is around twelve inches. In order below are pictures that I took of the American Pygmy Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, and Ringed Kingfisher. Gorgeous birds!