English             -              Rufous-tailed Jacamar

Portuguese      -              Ariramba-de-cauda-ruiva

Latin                 -              Galbula ruficauda         

I am very pleased to have photographed this colourful wee bird but must say it was not a difficult bird to photograph as they are curious and will allow you to get relatively close to them. I photographed the Rufous-tailed Jacamar in two different locations: at REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu) in the state of Rio de Janeiro where I stayed for one month and on a road in the Pantanal, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (where we spent 11 days). At REGUA I  was walking along the Wetlands trail (the yellow trail) and the Rufous-tailed Jacamar flew in front of me and perched on a branch beside me. The second opportunity arose when Celia and I were driving along the State road ”MS184” in the Panatanal. We stopped the car on one side of a bridge to take photos and two Rufous-tailed Jacamar flew in and landed on an old wire fence very close to us. Sadly on both locations they parked themselves in the shade of trees. I’m sure that wasn’t to annoy me but as a way to keep cool, especially in the Pantanal where we experienced temperatures of up to 38 degrees. (and that was in their winter) but photographing these amazing wee birds in full sunlight would further enhance their amazing colouration.

* They are found in southern Mexico, Central America and South America as far south as southern Brazil and Ecuador.

* The Rufous-tailed Jacamar is typically 25 cm long with a 5 cm long black bill.

* Sexes differ in that the male has a white throat, and the female has a buff throat.

* The Female lays two to four rufous-spotted white eggs in a burrow in a bank or in termite mounds.

*  The Rufous-tailed Jacamar is a insectivore and hunts from a perch, sitting with its bill tilted up, then flying out to   catch flying insects.

* They have a high pitch ”peeo, peea, pee-pee-pee-pe-pe-pe-e-e-e’e’” sound.

* The conservation status of the Rufous-tailed Jacamar is rated as of ”Least Concern” by the IUCN. They have a very wide geographic distribution, and although population trends are believed to be decreasing due to numbers of breeding Rufous-tailed Jacamars disappearing in its range and with increasing human presence, and subsequent forest disturbance by people and domesticated animals, they are thought not to be in danger at this stage.