A kingfisher digs its nest tunnel slightly uphill — ChillScroll

A Belted Kingfisher beside a round tunnel entrance in a sandy riverbank

A kingfisher digs its nest tunnel slightly uphill

A Belted Kingfisher pair tunnels three to six feet into a bare earthen bank. The passage slopes upward so rainwater is less likely to collect in the nest chamber.

A long hallway, one dry room, and the river waiting just outside.

Source · Cornell Lab of Ornithology ↗