Green-and-rufous Kingfisher

The green-and-rufous kingfisher, Chloroceryle inda, is a vibrant member of the water kingfisher family, Alcedinidae. This species exhibits the classic kingfisher profile with a robust, shaggy crest and a long, heavy bill. Measuring approximately 24 cm in length, males range from 40 to 60 grams in weight, while females are slightly heavier at 53 to 62 grams. The bill is predominantly black with a hint of pale yellow at the mandible's base, and the legs and feet are a shade of pinkish to dark gray.

Identification Tips

Males boast glossy green upperparts with a pale yellowish collar, white-tipped upperwing coverts, and small white spots on their secondaries, tertials, and tail. Their underparts are a striking dark rufous, with a yellow-buff chin and buffy rufous throat. Females are similar but feature a wide band of green with white speckles across their upper breast and additional pale spotting on their upperparts. Juveniles resemble adult females but have more pronounced spotting on the upperparts and a green breastband, which is thinner in males.

Habitat

The green-and-rufous kingfisher is found along streams and rivers, forested swamps, and mangroves. It prefers densely vegetated banks and avoids open shorelines. Its habitat extends from sea level up to 400 meters in elevation.

Distribution

This species is widely distributed across the American tropics, from Nicaragua to Panama and throughout most mainland South American countries, excluding Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Its range is divided into three distinct parts, with the nominate subspecies being the most widespread.

Behaviour

Presumed to be sedentary, the green-and-rufous kingfisher is known to disperse locally into flooded forests. It hunts from low perches, diving into the water for prey, and favors shaded perches over open ones. It does not exhibit the hovering behavior seen in some other kingfisher species.

Song & Calls

The green-and-rufous kingfisher's vocal repertoire includes thin, high-pitched notes often described as 'week week week.' It also produces a variety of calls such as 'chip-chip-chip,' a hard, rolling 'drrrt,' a crackling 'trit-trit-trit,' and a twitter followed by rapidly repeated, low 'too-too-too-too.'

Breeding

Breeding seasons vary geographically, with northern Brazil's season spanning from July to November and February in Panama. The specifics of the breeding season in other regions are not well-defined. Nests are tunnels excavated in earthen stream or river banks, ending in a nest chamber. Clutch sizes range from three to five eggs, though incubation periods and fledging times remain unknown.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the green-and-rufous kingfisher includes small fish from families such as Characidae, Cichlidae, and Cyprinodontidae, as well as crabs, shrimps, and aquatic insects.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the green-and-rufous kingfisher as Least Concern due to its very large range and estimated population of at least half a million mature individuals. Despite a suspected population decline, no immediate threats have been identified for this species.