Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green Kingfisher
Chloroceryle americana
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) — Kingfishers & Rollers of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) is a member of the Alcedinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 33.7 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 americana
Where it lives
Southwestern USA to northern Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 33.7 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green 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 Green Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) belongs to the Alcedinidae family of the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA sw USA to n Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 33.7 g, with a wing length of about 7.7 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 16.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green Kingfisher?
The Green Kingfisher is a small bird that weighs around 33.7 g.
Where does the Green Kingfisher live?
The Green Kingfisher is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA sw USA to n Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Green Kingfisher belong to?
The Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) belongs to the Alcedinidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Green Kingfisher eat?
The Green Kingfisher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Green Kingfisher migrate?
The Green Kingfisher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green 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 Green Kingfisher make?
1 real field recording of the Green Kingfisher — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green Kingfisher's range?
The Green Kingfisher has a mapped global range of about 16.9 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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