Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) lives in freshwater rivers across Central America. It feeds on fish and insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Green Kingfisher
- At just 20 cm (8 in) long and 35-40 g (1.2-1.4 oz) in weight, the green kingfisher packs the power of a tiny torpedo into a bird the size of a ruler. Females tip the scales slightly higher, and individuals farther north or west of the Andes grow a bit larger, a subtle cline that mirrors their sprawling range. This compact build lets them launch from low perches and dive with razor-sharp precision, turning even the smallest stream into a hunting arena.
- Pairs carve out burrows up to 1 m (3 ft) long into river banks, ending in a snug nesting chamber where they lay two to six eggs. After 19-21 days of shared incubation, females keeping watch at night, the hatchlings grow for another 26-27 days before fledging, then linger for about a month before being chased out. This tightly timed life cycle, all within a single earthen tunnel.
- When hunting, the kingfisher perches just 1-1.5 m (3-5 ft) above water, sometimes hopping to a new spot after each dive. From these low platforms it snatches fish ranging from 8 mm to 80 mm (0.3-3.1 in), with average catches of 19.4 mm (0.76 in) and 41.1 mm (1.6 in) at different sites, rarely exceeding two inches.
- From southern Texas down through every mainland South American nation except Chile, the green kingfisher occupies an expanse so vast it supports roughly 20 million mature birds. Though the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, slow decline.
- Genetic analysis in 2006 placed the green kingfisher shoulder-to-shoulder with its larger cousin, the green-and-rufous kingfisher (C. inda), confirming they are sister species.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeCentral America
HabitatFreshwater rivers
DietFish and insects
About the Green Kingfisher
As the Green Kingfisher darts over the tranquil waters, its iridescent plumage flashing like a shard of emerald in the sunlight, it embodies the very essence of swift, agile precision, its rapid wingbeats a blur as it pursues its aquatic prey with unerring accuracy. With a flick of its long, pointed tail, the kingfisher banks and turns, its bright, inquisitive eyes scanning the river's surface for the slightest ripple or disturbance, its entire being attuned to the subtleties of its aquatic realm. In this fleeting glimpse, we are reminded of the beauty and elegance that can be found in even the most fleeting of creatures.
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