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What to look for:
The Kingfisher returning to your area. Start watching at the end of March and into early April.

You will see the Belted Kingfisher perched on a branch or overhead powerlines overlooking a lake or stream, or coastal bay. They are 30-40 cm in length, and have bluish-grey heads with a crest on top (like a punk hairdo!). They have a distinct white band or belt around their neck, hence their name. They also have a white spot in front of each eye. From its perch along the shoreline, the Kingfisher can see its prey in the shallow waters below, usually small fish or shellfish. When it spies something good to eat, the Kingfisher will plunge headlong into the water in an angled dive and grab its prey in its sturdy beak. The Kingfisher is common in Nova Scotia from early April, so keep your eyes open from the end of March for this bird with the distinctive punk hairdo!

Did you know? ... The Kingfisher burrows up to three metres into the sides of earthen banks for a nest site. The babies stay underground in this tunnel for three to four weeks!

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