# Amazon Kingfisher (*Chloroceryle amazona*) The Amazon Kingfisher is a colorful bird that loves to fish! With its bright green and blue feathers, it can be found near rivers and lakes, where it dives to catch its meals. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Amazon Kingfisher](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Amazon_Kingfisher.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amazon_Kingfisher.jpg) ## Appearance The Amazon Kingfisher has a striking iridescent green back and cap, contrasting with a clean white belly. Males boast a broad rufous-chestnut band across their breast, while females have a white breast band with green flecking. Its long, dagger-like black bill is perfectly suited for fishing. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Coraciiformes - **Family:** Alcedinidae - **Genus:** Chloroceryle ## Interesting facts - Both parents feed chicks up to 100 times daily, working hard to raise their young! - Kingfisher feathers shimmer green or blue, changing color as light hits them! - Kingfishers dig tunnels up to 3 feet long in riverbanks to build their cozy nests! - Their super-fast wings beat so quickly they look like a blur when they fly! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Vision:** Amazon Kingfisher has special eyes that can focus perfectly in both air and water, helping them spot fish clearly. - **Splashless Dive:** Amazon Kingfisher can dive into water headfirst with incredible precision, creating barely a ripple to catch its prey. - **Hovering Hunter:** Amazon Kingfisher can hover mid-air, flapping its wings rapidly, to get the perfect angle before plunging for a fish. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 29-30 cm - **Wingspan:** 40-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.08-0.12 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-7 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-4 - **Incubation:** 20-22 days ## Diet & Feeding Mainly eats small fish, but also aquatic insects and tiny crustaceans caught with a speedy dive. - **Primary Foods:** Small fish, Aquatic insects, Crustaceans, Tadpoles - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Guppy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/guppy) (*Poecilia reticulata*) — Small fish are a primary food source. - **Eaten by:** [Bronze Corydoras](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bronze-corydoras) (*Corydoras aeneus*) — Kingfishers dive for these small, bottom-dwelling fish. - **Eaten by:** Boa Constrictor (*Boa constrictor*) — Snakes may prey on eggs, chicks, or even adult birds. - **Eaten by:** [Ornate Hawk-Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ornate-hawk-eagle) (*Spizaetus ornatus*) — Large raptors can occasionally prey on adult kingfishers. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and be quiet so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Amazon Kingfisher? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Amazon Kingfisher? 29-30 cm ### What is Amazon Kingfisher's wingspan? 40-45 cm ### How much does Amazon Kingfisher weigh? 0.08-0.12 kg ### How long does Amazon Kingfisher live? 5-7 years ### How fast can Amazon Kingfisher move? 45 km/h ### What does Amazon Kingfisher eat? Mainly eats small fish, but also aquatic insects and tiny crustaceans caught with a speedy dive. ### Where is Amazon Kingfisher usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Fort McIntosh](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-mcintosh) — US · Historic Site ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Amazon Kingfisher: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/amazon-kingfisher)