Kingfisher in FL?

I asked this question about a month or so ago because I thought I spotted one while driving my car. Guess what I found today camera in hand? I looked it up and am so excited to have seen one today. I really think they are cool. First spotted him far far away w/out my extender then as I was leaving, there he was on the line. Not great images but I'm happy to have seen one in the wild.

another one far away

So cool

Cheryl it is a Belted Kingfisher, you will see them in FL after their breeding season.

Thanks Lia and when is that?

Cheryl, as near as I can recall I would stop seeing the Belted Kingfishers some time after the middle of March, to mid April then begin to see then around September again.

They need high earthern banks to burrow into for nesting, those geological features are not present in most sections of central & south FL, so they go north to breed.

Anyone really interested in birds should make contact with a local Audubon group and get recommendations on any published info on bird distribution for your local area.

There's a wonderful series of books now published by the American Birding Association known as ABA/Lane Guides (the very first one was self published by Jim Lane over 30 years ago). These books are intended to serve visiting birders in key parts of the county, giving location details and precise driving directions for finding the "most wanted" regional specialties. The books also contain detailed bar charts showing how likely it is to see a particular species in that location for every month of the year. No birder spending the time and money to visit a place looking for birds would consider going without the latest Lane Guide to the area.

I have the 4th edition (1996) of A Birder's Guide to Florida by Bill Pranty on my birder bookshelf, purchased before a business trip to FL that never came off. The bar charts show Belted Kingfisher as "fairly common to common" in the Panhandle and North Florida from mid October to mid April, and "uncommon" there the rest of the year. The farther south you go, though, the less likely it is to see one in any season.

If you can't find a local chapter of Audubon with a book store you can purchase any of the ABA/Lane guides from the ABA web site.

I think if you are serious about birding anywhere new, the ABA/Lane Guides are indispensable. I've had the privilege of contributing to one, and I can attest to the cross-checking and confirmation that goes into them. If you don't have an Audubon office near you, you can order them from the American Birding Association's On-line Store.

Pasco County has two Audubon chapters.

Thanks so much you two. I will definately check that out

Lucky you Cheryl, I see one in the States last year, but from much further away than this.

Hi Cheryl. I'm not sure where in Florida you are, but in central Florida (Orlando/Daytona Beach area) Belted Kingfishers are common from about September through April or so. Because some birds breed in north Florida, migrants often show up in August. They become more common in September and October. During winter, they can be abundant along roadsides, particularly where there are roadside ditches and powerlines from which they can hunt.

There are a few areas in central FL where I see then all year. There are seasons, as others have mentioned, where they are more abundant

I'm hopeful to get a greatshot this fall

I can't remember not seeing them any time of year in the South Florida Everglades.