. Birds of the world for young people . he Common American, or Belted Kingfisher, ismuch larger than the preceding and has a ypell-markedcrest. The upper part of the body is blue, faintlystreaked with darker colour; the throat and sides ofthe neck are white, as well as the under-parts; thewings are blackish, with white spots on the primaries,and across the breast is a wide band of blue. The tailis barred with white, except the two middle feathers,which are blue. The Belted Kingfisher, like manyothers of its tribe, has the habit of perching motionlesson a small bough overlooking a stream and wa
. Birds of the world for young people . he Common American, or Belted Kingfisher, ismuch larger than the preceding and has a ypell-markedcrest. The upper part of the body is blue, faintlystreaked with darker colour; the throat and sides ofthe neck are white, as well as the under-parts; thewings are blackish, with white spots on the primaries,and across the breast is a wide band of blue. The tailis barred with white, except the two middle feathers,which are blue. The Belted Kingfisher, like manyothers of its tribe, has the habit of perching motionlesson a small bough overlooking a stream and waitingimtil a fish comes to the surface, when it makes aquick dart, seizes the prey in its beak and returns withJt to the perch, where it is devoured. The feet arevery smalLin comparison to the size of the bird. Likethe European species, the Belted Kingfisher nests inholes, digging a timnel in a bank and widening it atthe end for the reception of the eggs. yVhen invaded,the birds will defend their nests vigorously with theirsharp 43. European Roller (CoraAu garmlua). BEE-EATERS—HOOPOES 145 While the Kingfishers present some species whichare dull-coloured, their near relatives, the Bee-eaters,are all brilliantly coloured birds, green, blue and awonderful rose-red being the principal types, andthese colours are, in some, relieved by patches of redand yellow. They are confined to the temperate andtropical regions of the Old World. Bee-eaters, like Kingfishers, breed in holes in banksor even in tunnels bored almost vertically into thelevel ground and extending from three to ten birds have long, pointed wings and long, widetails. In some species the two outer feathers of thetail are longer than the others. The bill is long andcurved and the base of the bill is provided with short,hair-like feathers. Bee-eaters feed upon insects, show-ing a marked partiality for bees and wasps and ap-pearing to suffer no ill effects from their birds are common through
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