Green-tailed jacamar

The green-tailed jacamar (Galbula galbula) is a species of bird in the family Galbulidae. It is native to Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.[2][3]

Green-tailed jacamar
A male green-tailed jacamar at Anavilhanas National Park, Novo Airão, Amazonas, Brazil
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Galbulidae
Genus: Galbula
Species:
G. galbula
Binomial name
Galbula galbula
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms

Alcedo galbula Linnaeus, 1766

Taxonomy and systematics

The green-tailed jacamar is monotypic.[2] 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.[4]

Galbula galbula, female (below) and male (above), illustration by Keulemans

Description

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.[3]

Distribution 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).[3]

Behavior

Feeding

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.[3]

Breeding

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.[3]

Vocalization

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 . Its call is a repeated "peep" or "peer", sometimes in a series .[3]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the green-tailed jacamar as being of Least Concern.[1] It appears to be common in most of its range and occurs in several protected areas.[3]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Galbula galbula". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22682203A92934728. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22682203A92934728.en. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  2. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (January 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.1)". Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  3. Tobias, J., T. Züchner, and T.A. de Melo Júnior (2020). Green-tailed Jacamar (Galbula galbula), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grtjac1.01 retrieved May 10, 2021
  4. Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 19 January 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved January 19, 2021
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