Owner Comments:
One thing that has been interesting to observe as I’ve built this set is how lopsided the available information on the different animals discussed can be. Some species have an absolute wealth of available information available while others have very little information available. However, I still want to include these birds as they are interesting and our next bird is one of those that is a little sparse on available information. This is the Ringed Kingfisher, species name Megaceryle torquata.
The Ringed Kingfisher is a tropical kingfisher, ranging from southern Texas down to the very southernmost tip of South America living near waterways, especially those that are heavily wooded. Ringed Kingfishers are around 16 inches long, which is long for a kingfisher, with deep blue or bluish-gray plumage with white markings, a shaggy crest and a broad white collar around the neck and a reddish underside and a blackish bill. Sexual dimorphism exists as far as coloration goes; females are more brightly colored than the males, which is an interesting departure for the typical theropod formula, where the males is typically more vibrantly colored if there is any difference in coloration.
Like all kingfishers, the Ringed Kingfisher is a predator, preying mostly upon fish but it will also consume small amphibians, small reptiles and other small prey, such as aquatic insects. The Ringed Kingfisher is a sight-based hunter which locates prey by staring into the water and diving after the prey when sighted. The Ringed Kingfisher makes its kills underwater with its heavy, dagger like beak, and typically swallows its prey whole.
Ringed Kingfishers nest in burrows. They typically lay clutches of between 3 and 6 eggs, but 3 is the usual. The eggs are incubated by both parents and the incubation period is not well known. Both parents feed and care for the young, who leave the nest about 5 weeks after hatching but they often stay with their parents for some time after this, though the exact amount of time is unknown.
I apologize again for another shorter essay, but I can only construct what the information allows me to. I will keep looking for new scholarship on this bird, which I will add once I find it.