Bird Guide

Amazon Kingfisher vs American Pygmy Kingfisher

Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)

Amazon Kingfisher

Chloroceryle amazona

Medium126 gRiverine

The Amazon kingfisher is about 30 cm (12 in) long. Males weigh 98 to 121 g (3.5 to 4.3 oz) and females 125 to 140 g (4.4 to 4.9 oz). It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a shaggy crest and long heavy bill. The bill is black with some pale yellow at the base of the mandible and its legs and feet are dark grey. Adult males have dark bronzy green upperparts divided by a white collar. They have a white chin and throat, a rich rufous breast with dark green sides, and a white belly with dark green streaks on the side. Voice: The Amazon kingfisher makes a "oud, harsh, repeated 'tek' or 'klek'" and a "staccato 'chrit'" that may be extended into a rattle. It also makes "frog-like" calls. Another vocalization is "an accelerating series of clear notes...'see see see...su su su su'" that is thought to be a greeting or alarm call.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zygy · CC0
American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea)

American Pygmy Kingfisher

Chloroceryle aenea

Tiny14 gRiverine

The American pygmy kingfisher is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males weigh 10 to 16 g (0.35 to 0.56 oz) and females 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a shaggy crest and long heavy bill. The bill is black with some pale yellow at the base of the mandible and its legs and feet are pinkish to light gray. Males of the nominate subspecies have a dark glossy green head and upperparts with a golden wash separated by a narrow rufous collar. Their tail is a bluer green. They have black lores with a thin rufous line in front of the eye. Voice: The American pygmy kingfisher makes a "eak, repeated 'tik' or 'dzit, tsweek' sometimes faster as a rattle or chatter". What is thought to be its song is "a series of musical chirps."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vincent A. Vos · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Amazon Kingfisher and American Pygmy Kingfisher.