- Amazon Kingfisher
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Amazon Kingfisher 
Male in Ibera Marshes, Argentina 
Female in Goiania, Goias, Brazil Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Coraciiformes Family: Cerylidae Genus: Chloroceryle Species: C. amazona Binomial name Chloroceryle amazona
Latham, 1790The Amazon Kingfisher, Chloroceryle amazona, is a resident breeding bird in the lowlands of the American tropics from southern Mexico south through Central America to northern Argentina, with at least one bird having strayed north to Texas. Records from Trinidad are thought to be erroneous.
This large kingfisher breeds by streams. The unlined nest is in a horizontal tunnel made in a river bank, and up to 1.6 m long and 10 cm wide. The female lays three, sometimes four, white eggs.
The Amazon Kingfisher resembles the Green Kingfisher which shares its range, but it is much larger than its relative, and three to four times as heavy. It is 29-30 cm long and weighs 110g. It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a short tail and long bill. It is oily green above, with a shaggy crest and a white collar around the neck. It lacks the white markings on the wings shown by Green Kingfisher.
Males have white underparts apart from a broad chestnut breast band and some green streaks on the flanks. Females have white underparts with green patches on the side of the chest and green flank streaks. Young birds resemble the adult female, but have white spots on the wings. There are no recognised subspecies of Amazon Kingfisher.
These birds often give a harsh teck call. The rarely heard song, given from a tree top, is a whistled see see see see.
Amazon Kingfishers are often seen perched on a branch or rock close to water before plunging in head first after their fish prey. They are the most likely green kingfisher to be seen on large rivers. They also feed on insects and amphibians.
External links
- Amazon Kingfisher videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for Argentina, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela) with RangeMap
- Amazon Kingfisher photo gallery VIREO Photo-High Res
- Photo-Medium Res; Article chandra.as.utexas.edu—"Birds of Brazil"
- Photo-Medium Res; Article world.std.com&ndaslh;"Mexican Birds: Villahermosa and Palenque"
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Chloroceryle
- Birds of South America
- Birds of the Amazon Basin
- Birds of the Guianas
- Birds of the Cerrado
- Birds of the Caatinga
- Birds of the Pantanal
- Birds of Central America
- Native birds of Eastern Mexico
- Native birds of Western Mexico
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