Belted Kingfisher

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Belted Kingfisher in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Belted Kingfisher sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 5,153 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Belted Kingfisher in Saguaro National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Belted Kingfisher in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

Megaceryle alcyon

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
GenusMegaceryle (Large Crested Kingfishers)
SpeciesMegaceryle alcyon (Belted Kingfisher)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Saguaro National Park

5,153 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026

44,559 Verified sightings across all 93 parks From 2019 to 2026

November Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Belted Kingfisher

The belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. The belted kingfisher received its scientific name from Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the binomial name Alcedo alcyon, basing the name on descriptions and images published by Mark Catesby (1731), John Ray (1713), and George Edwards (1750). The current genus Megaceryle was erected by German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848. Megaceryle is from the Ancient Greek megas, "great", and the existing genus Ceryle. The specific name alcyon is Latin for "kingfisher".

The Megaceryle large green kingfishers were formerly placed in Ceryle with the pied kingfisher, but the latter is closer to the Chloroceryle American green kingfishers. The belted kingfisher's closest living relative is the ringed kingfisher (M. torquata), and these two in all probability originated from an African Megaceryle, which colonized the Americas.

The belted kingfisher is a stocky, medium-sized bird that measures from 28–35 cm (11–14 in) in length with a wingspan from 48–58 cm (19–23 in). It can weigh from 113... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
2	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
3	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~40%
4	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
5	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
6	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
7	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
8	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
9	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
10	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
11	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
12	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
13	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
14	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
15	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
16	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
17	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
18	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
19	Nahanni National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
20	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
21	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
22	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
23	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
24	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
25	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
26	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
27	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
28	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
29	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
30	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
31	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
32	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
33	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
34	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
35	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
36	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
37	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
38	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
39	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
40	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
41	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
42	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
43	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
44	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
45	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
46	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
47	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
49	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
50	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
51	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
52	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
53	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
54	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
55	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
56	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
57	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
58	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
59	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
60	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
61	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
62	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
63	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
64	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
65	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
66	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
67	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
68	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
69	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
70	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
71	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
72	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
73	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
74	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
75	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
76	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
77	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
78	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
79	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
80	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
81	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
82	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
83	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
84	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
85	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
86	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	Insufficient data
87	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
88	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
89	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
90	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
91	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
92	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
93	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Belted Kingfisher in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Belted Kingfisher sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 5,153 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Belted Kingfisher in Saguaro National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Belted Kingfisher in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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