Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona), male
Amazon Kingfisher, Male

Amazon Kingfisher

Chloroceryle amazona

The Amazon kingfisher, Chloroceryle amazona, is a robust bird with a characteristic kingfisher profile: a shaggy crest and a long, heavy bill. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism in plumage coloration. The male's upperparts are a dark bronzy green with a white collar, while the underparts are a striking rufous with green flanks. The female, however, has green extending across the breast. Both sexes have a white chin and throat, and juveniles display a buffy rufous breast.

Identification Tips

Adult males can be identified by their dark green upperparts and rufous breast, separated by a white collar. Females lack the rufous breast, and their green sides extend across the breast. The bill is black with pale yellow at the base of the mandible, and the legs and feet are dark gray. Juveniles have buff spots on the upperwing coverts and a notable yellow patch on their bill.

Habitat

The Amazon kingfisher is typically found along large rivers, both slow- and fast-flowing, as well as the wooded shores of lakes and freshwater lagoons. It can also be found in brackish lagoons, mangroves, and tidal estuaries, preferring open landscapes over dense forests.

Distribution

This species ranges from the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Tamaulipas, through Central America, into Colombia and Venezuela, and east of the Andes in South America, excluding Chile. Its southernmost range extends to central Argentina. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Aruba, Trinidad, and Texas.

Behaviour

The Amazon kingfisher is generally sedentary, though vagrancy has been recorded. It typically hunts from a perch, diving into the water for prey, but it may also hover before striking.

Song & Calls

The vocal repertoire includes a loud, harsh 'tek' or 'klek', a staccato 'chrit' that can become a rattle, and 'frog-like' calls. An accelerating series of clear notes is thought to serve as a greeting or alarm call.

Breeding

Breeding seasons vary geographically, with Central America seeing activity in the first half of the year. Pairs excavate burrows in river banks for nesting, with clutches typically consisting of three or four eggs. Incubation and fledging periods are about 22 and 29 to 30 days, respectively.

Diet and Feeding

The Amazon kingfisher's diet is predominantly fish, especially from the family Characidae, and crustaceans. It employs both perching and hovering techniques to capture its aquatic prey.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Amazon kingfisher as Least Concern, with an estimated population of at least half a million mature individuals. Despite a suspected population decline, no immediate threats have been identified for this species with an extremely large range.

Amazon Kingfisher Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Amazon Kingfishers on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Kingfishers

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.