Hi Tweeters,

Around 6 PM Monday I headed to Wallace Swamp Creek Park (Kenmore) for my regular survey of birds. I was near the footbridge over the stream when I could hear a Belted Kingfisher approaching from down stream. The bird flew over my head and I continued my walk.

A short time later I heard that rattle again, this time very incessantly. Focusing on the source of the noise I soon learned that there were two kingfishers chasing each other up and down the stream. Both were males as far as I could tell, but their rapid speed and the fact that they were flying at tree top level made it impossible to focus my binoculars on them for more than a couple of seconds at a time.

Seeing kingfishers in the park is common. Sometimes they just fly by on their way elsewhere and some times I get to watch as they choose a perch and fish in the stream or pond. Today's behavior was something I have never seen before. The display I saw was better than any chase scene in the movies.

The evening parade of crows were beginning to move through and occasionally one would cross the path of these angry kingfishers. It then temporarily become the kingfisher's target. Some of the crows turned the tables and gave chase to the kingfisher for a while before rejoining its crow friends.

My walk took me away from the park, on my way back home I again walked through the park. I was surprised to hear that the kingfishers were still at it. By now it was over an hour since I first heard them. When the sun dropped behind the trees they seemed to take a rest. There was about 10 minutes of silence then though they were out of sight I could occasionally still hear them harassing each other again. At 7:30 I decided the show was over and headed for home, as I left the rattle became constant again.

My best guess is that it was a territorial dispute.

Can anyone explain what I saw?

Was it a territorial dispute?

Has any one ever seen this behavior in Belted Kingfishers?
Was it a parent trying to teach his youngster something?
Linda Phillips

linda_phillips1252 at msn.com<mailto:linda_phillips1252 at msn.com>
Kenmore 98028-2616