American Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea Scientific name definitions

This tiny kingfisher is sparse, though perhaps often overlooked, throughout its large range in tropical lowlands. They are found along quiet streams in forest interior, as well as flooded várzea and swampy edges of lakes. They perch low, and generally stay concealed. Their flight is fast and buzzy. Overall, this species is unique in its minute size, but also note the buffy collar, rufous breast and flanks with white belly, and solid green back. Their most frequently-heard vocalization consists of quiet ticking notes, though they also give a more song-like series of high, rapid notes. Like other kingfishers, their nest is a burrow in an exposed bank.

13 cm; male 10–16 g, female 12–16 g. Male nominate race black lore with narrow rufous supraloral line, narrow rufous collar; dark glossy green head and upperparts with golden wash, tail bluer green, golden spots and tips on upperwing-coverts; chin and throat rufous, deeper on breast and flanks, centre of belly and undertail-coverts white; bill black, pale yellow base of lower mandible; iris dark brown; legs and feet fleshy to dark grey. Differs from very similar C. inda in much smaller size, white belly. Female has dark green breastband with white tips of feathers. Juvenile paler and duller underparts, buffy spots on wing, male green-black streaks on breast and flanks, female narrow often broken breastband. Race stictoptera   3–4 obvious lines of small white spots on secondaries (reduced and less white in nominate), and larger amount of white hidden in rump feathers.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Small streams , rivers and pools with dense overhanging marginal vegetation, in dense gallery forest and rainforest, ditches in plantations, open water in swamps, tidal channels in mangrove thickets ; most common in shaded habitats, only 2·5% of observations in Colombia and Bolivia were from open shorelines. From sea-level to 2600 m.

Presumably sedentary.

Small fish (Characidae, Cyprinodontidae), tadpoles and small frogs  , also insects such as damselflies (Zygoptera). Perches low over water, frequently bobbing head and pumping tail, and catches prey  by diving steeply into deep water, splashing in shallower water. Several reports of catching insects on the wing, but this may sometimes be mistaken interpretation of abortive sortie for fish. Frequently changes its foraging position. Detailed study in Colombia and Bolivia showed preferred perches were in trees, shielded by foliage (30%) and snags with only 1 or 2 prominent bare branches (29%); mean perch height was 1·2 m, and preferred prey was characid fish (96%), 30–70 mm long, most often 20–30 mm long.

Weak , repeated “tik” or “dzit, tsweek” sometimes faster as a rattle or chatter; song may be a series of musical chirps.

Lays in Mar–Apr, possibly Jun, in Costa Rica; in May in El Salvador and Surinam; in May–Sept in Trinidad; specimens in breeding condition in Jan in SE Mexico, in Aug in N Guatemala and in May in Belize. Nest  in a riverbank, earth heap, gravel pit, cutting, arboreal termitarium or earth pulled up by an uprooted tree; may be some distance from water; nest-tunnel 30–40 cm long, dug by both of pair. Clutch 3–4 eggs. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Widely distributed; uncommon and local in some localities, but common in others. In Colombia and Bolivia densities varied, 0·9–1·4/km of shoreline at lakes and 0·3–1/km at streams.