Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Jacamar
Jacamerops aureus
Great Jacamar (Jacamerops aureus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
See what's near you right nowThe Great Jacamar (Jacamerops aureus) is a member of the Galbulidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 62.9 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 Piciformes
- Family Galbulidae Jacamars
- Genus Jacamerops
- Species aureus
Where it lives
Costa Rica to northwestern Ecuador and Amazonia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 62.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Galbulidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Jacamar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Jacamar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Jacamar (Jacamerops aureus) belongs to the Galbulidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Ecuador and Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 62.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.5 cm and a tail of around 13.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Jacamar?
The Great Jacamar is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 62.9 g.
Where does the Great Jacamar live?
The Great Jacamar is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Ecuador and Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Great Jacamar belong to?
The Great Jacamar (Jacamerops aureus) belongs to the Galbulidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Great Jacamar eat?
The Great Jacamar is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Great Jacamar migrate?
The Great Jacamar is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Jacamar 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 Great Jacamar make?
1 real field recording of the Great Jacamar — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Jacamar's range?
The Great Jacamar has a mapped global range of about 5.7 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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