Rufous-tailed Jacamar

Scientific Name: Galbula ruficauda

Population Estimate: 500K-5M

Range / Habitat: Resident of southeast Mexico through Central America. Into South America as far as southern Brazil. Preferred habitat is subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest.

Field Notes: Jacamars are elegant birds with long bills and tails. This is the only jacamar in Mexico / Central America and so unmistakable in this range. Can be quite noisy. As with other jacamars, nests in holes in the ground.

Personal Notes: Seen several times (along with several howler monkeys) in a central Belize lowland forest with a lot of blowdown from hurricane Richard and, sadly, a fair amount of illegal logging. We saw this species a second time in Arenal Hanging Gardens, a female seen sitting on a nest at the end of a long hole in the ground.