Bird Friendly City

• The Belted Kingfisher's rattling call can often be heard before the bird is sighted flying around Kempenfelt Bay and other water bodies.
• Its shaggy crested head, back, and wings are a lovely blue. The females have a chestnut band beneath their blue neckband, an exception to the general rule that male birds are more colourful than females.
• Its big bill makes it top-heavy, helpful when diving for fish. It's unique in having two fovea per eye, providing exceptional acuity in focusing under water or air.
• It hovers in place while watching for prey, but can also fly at the relatively fast speed of 60 km/h!
• This is a hardy bird that will stay late into winter as long as there is open water.
• The Belted Kingfisher is a feisty bay bird, which makes it a great representative for the City of Barrie!

Knowing the Belted Kingfisher's rattle call will help you identify if the bird is nearby. The birds shouldn't be disturbed near their nests (deep sandbanks tunnels), as that may affect the chicks' survival. 

The Belted Kingfisher can be found in many places in and near Barrie, including:

• Parks, trails and other areas along Kempenfelt Bay including Johnson's Beach Park; North Shore Trail; The Gables Park; Minet's Point Park & Beach; Tollendale Woods Park; Dock Road Park; and Downtown on sailboat masts at the Kempenfelt Bay Yacht Club, located at the City of Barrie Marina
• Other parks in Barrie, such as Bear Creek Eco Park
• Creeks around the city including Bunker's Creek; at the bridge over Lovers Creek on Tollendal Mill Road, near Brentwood Marina; and off Hurst Drive, along Lovers Creek
• Little Lake, along the north shore and the south side
• The Tiffin Conservation Area

To find active hotspots in Barrie, visit ebird.org.

There are many field guides that can help identify birds, but some popular apps include Merlin, iNaturalist and the Audubon Bird Guide App.

The key to stopping birds from flying into your windows is to make the entire window look like a barrier to birds. You can do this by applying dense patterns of markings (small dots, squares, lines, etc.) to the outside of your windows. Visit FLAP Canada’s website to learn tips for the best ways to apply markings to your windows.

Reducing unnecessary lighting at night, especially during the critical periods of spring and fall migration, is a simple way to help migrating birds while also leading to energy and cost savings from decreased electricity usage. You should turn off all lights in unused interior spaces and draw blinds when interior spaces are occupied. Outdoor lighting should be limited to areas where required for safety and security. (from FLAP Canada)