Purplish Jacamar

About the Purplish Jacamar

The purplish jacamar (Galbula chalcothorax) is a species of bird in the family Galbulidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The purplish jacamar is monotypic. It and bronzy jacamar (Galbula leucogastra) were formerly considered conspecific; they now form a superspecies.

The purplish jacamar is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 24.5 to 26.5 g (0.86 to 0.93 oz). The male's crown and face are blackish green and have a bluish sheen. The upper parts and breast vary from metallic reddish purple to a coppery red. It has a white throat and a belly that appears speckled black and white. The female differs by having yellow-brown or buff throat and belly.

The purplish jacamar is found in the western Amazon Basin from southeast Colombia's Putumayo and Amazonas Departments south through eastern Ecuador into eastern Peru and east into Brazil as far as the Juruá River in Amazonas state. It inhabits edges, openings, and the canopy in terra firme forest, both primary and secondary. It is also found in woodland on sandy soils and along watercourses. It primarily ranges in elevation up to 500 m... Wikipedia →