 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-0.748 (-1.21 - -0.265)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Belted Kingfishers were encountered in 336 atlas squares across the province in places with suitable cutbanks for nesting and water for fishing. South of the boreal they were most commonly found along rivers, creeks and their tributaries, and occasionally on lakes with suitable cut banks. In particular, they were found in the Cypress Upland ecoregion, the Qu'Appelle Valley, the Souris River, and parts of the South Saskatchewan River, in particular before the river transitions into Lake Diefenbaker. In the boreal forest, where water is abundant, Belted Kingfishers were more widespread, with the largest concentrations in the Churchill River Upland ecoregion.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
A rust belly band and rufous sides on females in addition to the bluish band on both sexes place Belted Kingfishers among the few bird species in which the female plumage is "more lively? (Richardson and Swainson 1832). The unkempt hairdo, colourfully loud, rattling call, and loud splashes delight most observers. Belted Kingfishers are primarily fish-eating but they also consume frogs, tadpoles, aquatic insects, occasional crayfish, small birds and mammals, and berries (Fry and Fry 2000). These birds breed from Alaska and Labrador south through all but the southernmost portions of some southern states, and winter south to northern South America.
The Belted Kingfisher forages for fish and other aquatic prey along creeks, lakeshores, ponds, and rivers, including rapids. Banks, either natural or artificial, are required for nesting, but these can be at a distance from water (Gerrard et al. 1996).
The Belted Kingfisher is a summer resident wherever there is fresh water for fishing and cutbanks for nesting, hence common from the southern subarctic region to the northern parklands. In the grasslands and much of the parklands, where the intermittent or saline nature of many water bodies precludes the establishment of fish populations, it is uncommon and local (Smith 1996).
Original text by Martin K. McNicholl. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Belted Kingfisher in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Belted Kingfisher in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=BEKI&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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