Publication Date
2026
College
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Department
Wildlife
Document Type
Poster
Description
This study investigated belted kingfisher behaviors in order to understand how they manage their time within the coastal wetland habitats at the the Arcata Marsh. I recorded the total length of time (in seconds) that an individual kingfisher spent perched, preening, and foraging across various wetland habitat types at the Arcata Marsh, in multiple 30-minute observation periods. The number of individual foraging attempts (defined as a dive into the water) and the outcome of each attempt was also recorded during each observation period. The data was used to calculate activity budgets and evaluate their foraging efficiency. A statistical analysis of the data was used to compare behavior durations, and differences across multiple times throughout the day. Overall, the study will provide baseline insights into belted kingfisher behavior, and how it is influenced by environmental conditions.