Bird Guide

Amazon Kingfisher vs Green-and-rufous 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
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher (Chloroceryle inda)

Green-and-rufous Kingfisher

Chloroceryle inda

Small52 gRiverine

The green-and-rufous kingfisher is about 24 cm (9.4 in) long. Males weigh 40 to 60 g (1.4 to 2.1 oz) and females 53 to 62 g (1.9 to 2.2 oz). It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a somewhat shaggy crest and a 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 dark gray. The two species have almost identical plumage, and the differences are similar to the variation present in each subspecies. Adult males have glossy green upperparts with a pale yellowish collar. Voice: The green-and-rufous kingfisher's song is "thin, high-pitched notes, 'week week week'." It has a variety of calls including a "chip-chip-chip", a "hard, rolling 'drrrt'", a "crackling 'trit-trit-trit'", and a "twitter followed by rapidly repeated, low 'too-too-too-too'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: derivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) Chloroceryle_inda_-Madidi_National_Park_-Bolivia-8a.jpg: Arthur Chapman · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Amazon Kingfisher and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher.