Photo: Wagner Machado Carlos Lemes from Goiânia, Brazil / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Amazon Kingfisher
Chloroceryle amazona
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 9 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 126 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Alcedinidae Kingfishers
- Genus Chloroceryle
- Species amazona
Quick facts
- Weight
- 126 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Amazon Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of rivers and riverside habitats, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Amazon Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA c Mexico to c Argentina.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 126 g, with a wing length of about 13.1 cm and a tail of around 7.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 14.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Amazon Kingfisher?
The Amazon Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 126 g.
Where does the Amazon Kingfisher live?
The Amazon Kingfisher is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA c Mexico to c Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Amazon Kingfisher belong to?
The Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Amazon Kingfisher eat?
The Amazon Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Amazon Kingfisher migrate?
The Amazon Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Amazon Kingfisher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Amazon Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Amazon Kingfisher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Amazon Kingfisher's range?
The Amazon Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 14.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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