Green-tailed Jacamar
Galbula galbula
Distinctive, energetic bird of secondary forest, river edges, and disturbed habitats. Note iridescent green plumage with rusty belly, long pointed bill, and active behavior. Often found in pairs or small groups within a few meters of the ground. Feeds on flying insects, which it catches in mid-air from a prominent perch; often returns to same perch to dispatch and consume prey. Frequently gives loud, squeaking call.
Identification
The green-tailed jacamar is 18 to 22 cm (7.1 to 8.7 in) long and weighs 18 to 29 g (0.63 to 1.02 oz). The male's head, upperparts, and a band across the chest are metallic coppery green, somewhat bluer on the face. The tail is bluish green. The throat is white and the belly and vent area reddish chestnut. The female is similar but the throat is buff and the underparts are duller and paler.
Taxonomy
The green-tailed jacamar is monotypic. It and the rufous-tailed (Galbula ruficauda), white-chinned (G. tombacea), bluish-fronted (G. cyanescens), and coppery-chested jacamars (G. pastazae) are considered to form a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Galbula galbula
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Galbuliformes
- Family
- Galbulidae
- Genus
- Galbula
Range and habitat
The green-tailed jacamar is found from eastern Colombia's Vichada and Meta Departments east through southern and eastern Venezuela south of the Orinoco River to the Guianas and south in Brazil to the lower Madeira and Tapajós Rivers. It inhabits the borders, but not the interior, of several humid forest types including terra firme, várzea, gallery, and mangrove. It prefers open woodland, savanna, and shrublands, especially along watercourses. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 700 m (2,300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The green-tailed jacamar's diet is a large variety of insects though Hymenoptera predominate. It perches on exposed branches, often in pairs, and sallies from there to catch its flying prey.<p>The green-tailed jacamar excavates burrows in earth banks or arboreal termite nests. It has been documented breeding February to March in Venezuela, in May, June, and August in Suriname, and in April and September in Brazil.<p>The green-tailed jacamar's song is an "accelerating 'peeo peeo peea pee-pee-pee-pee-pe-pe-pe-e-e-e-e’e’e’e' that ends in a trill [1]. Its call is a repeated "peep" or "peer", sometimes in a series [2].
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Blue Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone cyanescens
A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland forest understory on Palawan and neighboring islands. Has a blue bill, eye-ring, chest, and head with a slight crest at the back. Back, wings, and tail are blue in the male and rufous in the female. Female is distinctive. Male is similar to Black-naped Monarch, but larger, and lacks the black mark on the back of the head. Song consists of a rapidly pulsating series of fairly high-pitched nasal notes that increase in volume.
Monteiro's Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates monteiroi
Very similar to Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and closely related to it. Both taxa differ mainly in timing of breeding and subsequent wing molt: Monteiro's Storm-Petrel breeds in summer and molt post-breeding, while Band-rumped breeds in winter and molts in winter. Morphologically they are very similar, however Monteiro's has on average a longer and more deeply-forked tail. Breeds in burrows and crevices on islands.
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Setophaga caerulescens
Striking warbler with vastly different male and female plumages. Males are unique deep blue above with black face and sides and white belly. Females are plain brownish-olive with dingy buffy underparts and subtle face pattern. Always look for small white patch on the wing, lacking only on the dullest immature females. Breeds in the understory of mixed forests, favoring hills with dense vegetation. Found in nearly any wooded or shrubby habitat during migration. Winters primarily in the Caribbean. Listen for lazy buzzy song, usually a series of notes with a final long buzz.
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