American Pygmy Kingfisher

Chloroceryle aenea

Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
GenusChloroceryle (American Green Kingfishers)
SpeciesChloroceryle aenea (American Pygmy Kingfisher)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Chagres National Park

4 Verified sightings at Chagres National Park From 2019 to 2026

6,787 Verified sightings across all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the American Pygmy Kingfisher

The American pygmy kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea) is a species of "water kingfisher" in subfamily Cerylinae of family Alcedinidae. It is found in the American tropics from southern Mexico south through Central America into every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay. It also occurs on Trinidad.

The first formal description of the American pygmy kingfisher was by the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 under the binomial name Alcedo aenea. The specific epithet aenea is from the Latin aeneus meaning "of a bronze colour". The current genus Chloroceryle was erected by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848.

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2006 found that the American pygmy kingfisher was a sister species to a clade containing the green-and-rufous kingfisher (C. inda) and the green kingfisher (C. americana). Two subspecies are currently recognized, the nominate C. a. aenea (Pallas, 1764) and C. a. stictoptera (Ridgway, 1884).

The American pygmy kingfisher is about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males weigh 10 to 16 g (0.35 to 0.56 oz) and females 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a shaggy... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Chagres National Park

Chloroceryle americana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Chloroceryle amazona

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chloroceryle inda

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Megaceryle torquata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Megaceryle alcyon

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Baryphthengus martii

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Electron platyrhynchum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Hylomanes momotula

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Momotus subrufescens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 9 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~40%
2	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
3	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
4	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
5	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
6	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
7	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
8	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
9	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
10	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
11	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
12	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
13	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
14	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
15	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
16	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
17	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
18	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
20	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
21	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
22	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
23	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
24	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
25	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
26	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
27	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
31	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
33	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
34	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
35	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
37	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
38	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
39	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
40	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
41	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
42	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
43	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
44	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
45	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
46	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
47	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
48	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Chagres National Park

American Pygmy Kingfisher

About the American Pygmy Kingfisher

Closest Relatives at Chagres National Park

Green Kingfisher

Amazon Kingfisher

Green-and-rufous Kingfisher

Ringed Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Rufous Motmot

Broad-billed Motmot

Tody Motmot

Whooping Motmot

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found