Tranpantaneira Highway
The Pantanal
Brazil
South America
The 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.
This large kingfisher breeds by streams. The unlined nest is in a horizontal tunnel made in a riverbank, 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 the green kingfisher.
There are no recognized 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 see.
Amazon kingfishers are often seen perched on a branch or rock close to water before plunging in headfirst after their fish prey. They are the most likely green kingfishers to be seen on large rivers. They also feed on insects, fish and amphibians. – Wikipedia
