{"id":258656,"date":"2026-03-08T05:58:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T10:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fauna\/green-kingfisher\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T17:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T22:20:09","slug":"green-kingfisher","status":"publish","type":"fauna","link":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/faune-2\/green-kingfisher\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Kingfisher"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chloroceryle americana<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":254180,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":""},"collection":[],"country":[11],"fauna-group":[27552],"fauna-type":[27217],"class_list":["post-258656","fauna","type-fauna","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","country-colombia","fauna-group-kingfishers","fauna-type-birds"],"acf":{"scientific_name":"Chloroceryle americana","animal_description":"The Green Kingfisher (*Chloroceryle americana*) is a diminutive yet striking bird found near the shaded banks of freshwater streams and rivers across the Americas. Measuring only about seven to eight inches, this small kingfisher is easily recognized by its glossy, dark metallic green upperparts and white collar. A notable feature of this species is its distinct sexual dimorphism: the male boasts a bold, rufous (chestnut) breast band, while the female displays two delicate greenish bands across her chest instead. Unlike its larger relatives that hunt from high vantage points, the Green Kingfisher typically perches on low, overhanging branches just inches above the water, remaining nearly motionless before executing a swift, shallow dive to capture small fish or crustaceans. Its compact size, vibrant coloring, and specialized low-profile hunting style make it a unique and captivating inhabitant of its riparian ecosystem.","animal_habitat":"This species occupies a vast geographical range extending from the southern United States, specifically southern Texas and Arizona, through Mexico and Central America, and deep into South America as far south as central Argentina. It is primarily a resident of lowland regions, rarely venturing into high-altitude areas, and maintains its territory year-round throughout most of its tropical and subtropical distribution.\n\nIts preferred habitats include slow-moving rivers, streams, and canals, as well as the sheltered edges of lakes and ponds. It favors environments with dense, overhanging vegetation that provides essential perching sites for hunting. While predominantly found near freshwater sources, it may occasionally inhabit brackish waters such as mangroves or coastal lagoons, provided there is sufficient cover and clear water for locating prey.","animal_behavior_and_reproduction":"Typically solitary or found in monogamous pairs, these birds are highly territorial, defending specific stretches of shaded streams and riverbanks. They utilize a \"perch-and-wait\" hunting strategy, sitting motionless on low branches before diving headlong into the water to capture small fish and crustaceans. Their social interactions are often marked by sharp, ticking vocalizations used to signal territory boundaries to rivals.\n\nReproduction begins with a courtship ritual where the male presents the female with a fish, a practice known as courtship feeding. Once a pair bond is established, both sexes cooperate to excavate a nesting burrow into a vertical earthen bank, often reaching lengths of up to three feet. The female lays between three to six eggs, which both parents take turns incubating. This biparental care continues after hatching, as both adults provide food for the altricial chicks until they are capable of hunting on their own.","diet":"The Green Kingfisher subsists on a diet primarily composed of small fish, though it also consumes aquatic insects, small crustaceans like shrimp, and occasionally terrestrial insects such as dragonflies. This bird typically hunts from a low perch near the water's edge, such as a rock or overhanging branch, from which it dives headlong into the water to seize its prey with a sharp, pointed bill. An interesting aspect of its feeding behavior is the practice of returning to its perch to strike its catch repeatedly against a hard surface; this serves to kill the prey and soften its bones or shells before the bird swallows it whole, usually headfirst to prevent scales or fins from catching in its throat. Despite its small size, the Green Kingfisher is a highly efficient predator in both freshwater streams and brackish coastal lagoons.","colors":"The Green Kingfisher features dark metallic green upperparts with white-spotted wings and tail, providing effective camouflage against overhanging riverside foliage. It is characterized by a prominent white collar and white underparts with green spotting along the flanks. Males are distinguished by a bold rufous breast band, while females possess one or two greenish bands across the chest.","fun_facts":"These tiny hunters prefer a \"low-profile\" approach, often diving from perches just inches above the water rather than from high branches. To prepare a meal, they vigorously whack captured fish against a limb to stun them and break their bones, ensuring a smooth, head-first swallow. Their nesting habits are remarkably industrious, as they use their feet and beaks to excavate tunnels up to three feet deep into vertical riverbanks. Unlike many birds where only the males are colorful, both sexes are vibrant, though they are easily distinguished by their \"necklaces\": males sport a bold, rusty-red breast band, while females display two bands of dark green spots.","conservation_status_&_efforts":"The species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its extremely large range and substantial population size. While the global population is considered stable, some regional declines have been noted, particularly at the northern limits of its territory in the southwestern United States. The primary threats to its survival involve the degradation of riparian corridors, including habitat loss from urban development, river channelization, and water pollution. These factors reduce the availability of suitable earthen banks for nesting and decrease water clarity, which is essential for the bird to locate its aquatic prey.\n\nConservation measures focus largely on the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems and their surrounding vegetation. Efforts include the establishment of protected riparian zones to prevent bank erosion and the implementation of water quality monitoring programs to ensure healthy fish populations. In some areas, land management initiatives prioritize the preservation of undisturbed shorelines and the reduction of agricultural runoff. These broad habitat-based strategies are vital for maintaining the connectivity of river systems, allowing the species to thrive across its diverse range from Texas to central Argentina.","endemic":false,"conservation_status":"Least Concern","ebird_link":{"url":"https:\/\/ebird.org\/species\/grekin","title":"View on Ebird","target":"_blank"},"animal_related_page":{"url":"https:\/\/animalia.bio\/green-kingfisher","title":"View on Animalia","target":"_blank"},"fauna_family":"Alcedinidae","fauna_known_nicknames":"American Green Kingfisher","fauna_average_length":"19\u201321 cm \/ 7.5\u20138.3 in","fauna_average_weight":"27\u201340 g \/ 0.95\u20131.4 oz","fauna_wingspan":"27\u201329 cm \/ 10.6\u201311.4 in","fauna_key_physical_feature":"Metallic oily-green upperparts with white wing spotting and a broad rufous breast band in males","fauna_primary_diet":"Piscivore (Primarily small fish and aquatic invertebrates)","fauna_geographical_range":"Southern Texas and Mexico through Central America to Central Argentina","fauna_preferred_habitat":"Clear, slow-moving streams, rivers, and lake margins with overhanging vegetation","fauna_social_structure":"Solitary or in monogamous pairs; highly territorial","fauna_breeding_site":"Horizontal burrows excavated in vertical riverbanks","fauna_conservation_status":"Least Concern (LC)","fauna_population_trend":"Stable","fauna_spanish_name":"Mart\u00edn pescador verde","fauna_french_name":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna\/258656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fauna"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collection?post=258656"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=258656"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-group?post=258656"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-type?post=258656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}