Jacamars | Galbulidae

Glansvogels | Jacamares

Jacamars are a family of tropical Central and South America and together with the puffbirds make up the order Galbuliformes. One species occurs in the region, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar, on Trinidad and Tobago, along forest edges, trails and shaded cocoa plantations. It is a slender bird with a long, straight, needle-like bill, a long, narrow tail and plumage that is metallic green on head, back and breast; in this species the belly and outer tail feathers are rufous, and the male has a white throat, the female a buff one. The small foot is zygodactyl. A jacamar sits upright on an open branch and flies out after butterflies, dragonflies and other insects, which it beats against the branch on its return until the wings break off. The voice consists of high, sharp calls and accelerating, rising trills. The nest is a tunnel dug by the birds in an earth bank or in a termite nest, unlined, with a few white eggs.