Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Baby kingfishers: from egg to fledgling
A Belted Kingfisher lays 5–8 eggs. They hatch after 22–24 days, and the young leave the nest 27–29 days later — about 49–53 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 5–8 eggs
- Incubation
- 22–24 days
- Time in the nest
- 27–29 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 49–53 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
- Nest
- Burrow excavated 3–6 ft into an earthen bank
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (22–24 days): 5–8 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (27–29 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season kingfishers mainly eat small fish, crayfish and tadpoles.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young kingfishers are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1–2 per season. Pairs often start a new nest soon after the first young become independent.
When kingfishers nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Feb) and latest in Alaska (Apr). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
Found a baby Belted Kingfisher?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about kingfishers
Frequently asked
How long do baby kingfishers stay in the nest?
About 27–29 days after hatching. Eggs take 22–24 days to hatch, so it is roughly 49–53 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Belted Kingfisher lay?
5–8 eggs per clutch, with 1–2 per season.
Where do kingfishers nest?
Burrow excavated 3–6 ft into an earthen bank.
What should I do if I find a baby Belted Kingfisher on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.