Okay Mr. Fisherman, let's see you catch one with your mouth.
Belted kingfisher on a fishing boat in the marina. He was catching bait fish while the boat was unoccupied.
Megaceryle alcyon
As nestlings, Belted Kingfishers have acidic stomachs that help them digest bones, fish scales, and arthropod shells. But by the time they leave the nest, their stomach chemistry apparently changes, and they begin regurgitating pellets which accumulate on the ground around fishing and roosting perches. Scientists can dissect these pellets to learn about the kingfisher’s diet without harming or even observing any wild birds.
The oldest known fossil in the kingfisher genus is 2 million years old, found in Alachua County, Florida.
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