The Belted Kingfisher, M. alcyon, is the only kingfisher that is widespread in North America, though M. torquata may be found as far north as Texas and Arizona.
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Not longer than 5 million years ago - possibly as recently as 2.9 million years ago -, an Old World giant kingfisher became the ancestor of the Belted and Ringed Kingfishers, and later, another species related to the Pied Kingfisher became the ancestor of the Chloroceryle green kingfishers after colonizing the Americas.
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The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), the only member of Ceryle, is widespread in the tropical regions of the Old World.
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These water kingfishers are descended from a common ancestor which seems to have been closely related to a progenitor of the Pied Kingfisher (which at that stage had not yet lost the metallic plumage tone), and are similar in plumage and habits (Moyle, 2006).