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Galbulidae - Jacamars

 

Classification

 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Aves
 Order: Piciformes
 Family: Galbulidae

Rufous-tailed JacamarThere are 18 birds in this family. They are found in forests from South American north to Mexico. Most species are 6-12 inches in length. They have long, thin bills; short wings; and long tails. There is one member of this family, the three-toed jacamar, that does not have the zygodactyl feet found in most birds in the Piciformes order.

The three-toed jacamar has three toes facing frontwards and one toe facing backwards, unlike the rest of the birds in the family that have two toes facing frontwards and two toes facing backwards.

Most species have iridescent blue or green feathers on their back and wings and iridescent bronze feathers on their breasts. In some species, the males have white throats and the females have brown throats.

Jacamars nest in burrows in the ground. The birds in this family wait in trees for flying insects to pass by and then chase after them and catch them in flight. They then return to their tree and pound their catch on the tree before eating it!
galleryGalbulidae Photo Gallery

World Status Key
Least ConcernLeast Concern Near ThreatenedNear Threatened VulnerableVulnerable EndangeredEndangered Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered extinct in the wildExtinct Wild extinctExtinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in USThreatened in US Threatened in New HampshireThreatened in NH Endangered in USEndangered in US Endangered in NHEndangered in NH breeds in nhBreeds in NH IntroducedIntroduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

  New Hampshire Species

 

 North/Central American Species

None

  Dusky-backed Jacamar - Brachygalba salmoni Least Concern
Rufous-tailed Jacamar - Galbula ruficauda Least Concern
Great Jacamar - Jacamerops aureus Least Concern

Other Species Around the World

Africa Africa Asia Asia Australia Australia/Oceania Europe Europe North America North/Central America South America South America New Hampshire Species NH Species

White-throated Jacamar - Brachygalba albogularis Least Concern South America
Pale-headed Jacamar - Brachygalba goeringi Least Concern South America
Brown Jacamar - Brachygalba lugubris Least Concern South America
Dusky-backed Jacamar - Brachygalba salmoni Least Concern North America South America
White-eared Jacamar - Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis Least Concern South America
Chestnut Jacamar - Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus Least Concern South America
Yellow-billed Jacamar - Galbula albirostris Least Concern South America
Purplish Jacamar - Galbula chalcothorax Least Concern South America
Bluish-fronted Jacamar - Galbula cyanescens Least Concern South America

  Blue-necked Jacamar - Galbula cyanicollis Least Concern South America
Paradise Jacamar - Galbula dea Least Concern South America
Green-tailed Jacamar - Galbula galbula Least Concern South America
Bronzy Jacamar - Galbula leucogastra Least Concern South America
Coppery-chested Jacamar - Galbula pastazae Vulnerable South America
Rufous-tailed Jacamar - Galbula ruficauda Least Concern North America South America
White-chinned Jacamar - Galbula tombacea Least Concern South America
Three-toed Jacamar - Jacamaralcyon tridactyla Vulnerable South America
Great Jacamar - Jacamerops aureus Least Concern North America South America

Additional Information

Key: profile Profile Photos Photos Video Video Audio Audio

Blue-necked Jacamar - Galbula cyanicollis Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The blue-necked jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue-necked Jacamar - Galbula cyanicollis profile Audio Least Concern South America
The blue-necked jacamar is found in the interior of lowland forests.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bluish-fronted Jacamar - Galbula cyanescens Photos Video Least Concern South America
The bluish-fronted jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bluish-fronted Jacamar - Galbula cyanescens profile Audio Least Concern South America
The bluish-fronted jacamar is a bright iridescent green with a chestnut lower belly and a bluish-green crown.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bronzy Jacamar - Galbula leucogastra Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The bronzy jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bronzy Jacamar - Galbula leucogastra profile Audio Least Concern South America
The bronzy jacamar is found at the edges and clearings in a variety of forest types.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brown Jacamar - Brachygalba lugubris Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The brown jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brown Jacamar - Brachygalba lugubris Photos Audio Least Concern South America
The brown jacamar not green like most jacamars. It is brown with purplish wings.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Chestnut Jacamar - Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The chestnut jacamar is also known as the purus jacamar. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Chestnut Jacamar - Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus Photos Audio Least Concern South America
The chestnut jacamar is a stocky chestnut bird with a pink bill.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Coppery-chested Jacamar - Galbula pastazae Photos Video Audio Vulnerable South America
The coppery-chested jacamar is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Coppery-chested Jacamar - Galbula pastazae profile Photos Vulnerable South America
The coppery-chested jacamar is metallic green with a a coppery-red belly.
Source:BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Coppery-chested Jacamar - Galbula pastazae profile Audio Vulnerable South America
The coppery-chested jacamar is found on the eastern slope of the Andes.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Dusky-backed Jacamar - Brachygalba salmoni Video Least Concern North America South America
The dusky-backed jacamar is found in Colombia and Panama.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Dusky-backed Jacamar - Brachygalba salmoni profile Audio Least Concern North America South America
The dusky-backed jacamar is greenish black above and has a cinnamon-colored underside. It has a brownish crown and a white throat and cheeks.
Source:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Great Jacamar - Jacamerops aureus profile Audio Least Concern North America South America
The great jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Source:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Green-tailed Jacamar - Galbula galbula Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The green-tailed jacamar is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Green-tailed Jacamar - Galbula galbula profile Audio Least Concern South America
The green-tailed jacamar is found at the borders of a variety of woodland habitats.
Source:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pale-headed Jacamar - Brachygalba goeringi Photos Video Least Concern South America
The pale-headed jacamar is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pale-headed Jacamar - Brachygalba goeringi profile Audio Least Concern South America
The pale-headed jacamar is found at the edges of lowland forests.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Paradise Jacamar - Galbula dea Photos Video Least Concern South America
The paradise jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Paradise Jacamar - Galbula dea profile Audio Least Concern South America
The paradise jacamar tends to sit high in the canopy in the open, unlike most other jacamars.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Purplish Jacamar - Galbula chalcothorax Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The purplish jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Purplish Jacamar - Galbula chalcothorax profile Audio Least Concern South America
The purplish jacamar has metallic reddish purple or coppery red upperparts.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Rufous-tailed Jacamar - Galbula ruficauda Photos Video Audio Least Concern North America South America
The rufous-tailed jacamar is found in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Rufous-tailed Jacamar - Galbula ruficauda profile Photos Audio Least Concern North America South America
Rufous-tailed Jacamars feed on flying insects, especially dragonflies, butterflies and moths.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Three-toed Jacamar - Jacamaralcyon tridactyla Photos Vulnerable South America
The three-toed jacamar is found in Brazil.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Three-toed Jacamar - Jacamaralcyon tridactyla profile Photos Photos Vulnerable South America
The three-toed jacamar is threatened by habitat loss.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Three-toed Jacamar - Jacamaralcyon tridactyla profile Audio Photos Vulnerable South America
The three-toed jacamar had a brownish head with thin pale streaks, grayish-green upperparts, and a white breast and belly.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

White-chinned Jacamar - Galbula tombacea Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The white-chinned jacamar is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-chinned Jacamar - Galbula tombacea profile Audio Least Concern South America
The white-chinned jacamar is a bright iridescent green with a chestnut lower belly.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

White-eared Jacamar - Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The white-eared jacamar is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-eared Jacamar - Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis profile Audio Least Concern South America
The white-eared jacamar is found lowland primary forests, often beside rivers and streams.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

White-throated Jacamar - Brachygalba albogularis Video Least Concern South America
The white-throated jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Yellow-billed Jacamar - Galbula albirostris Photos Video Audio Least Concern South America
The yellow-billed jacamar is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Yellow-billed Jacamar - Galbula albirostris profile Photos Audio Least Concern South America
The yellow-billed jacamar has bright iridescent green upperparts, chestnut underparts, and a long yellow bill.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School