Yellow-billed Jacamar Galbula albirostris Scientific name definitions

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The Yellow-billed Jacamar is a relatively small member of the genus Galbula found north of the Amazon River in northern Amazonia from eastern Ecuador, southern Colombia and northwestern Brazil. It is replaced south of the Amazon by the very similar Blue-cheeked Jacamar (Galbula cyanicollis). The Yellow-billed Jacamar  prefers the understory of terra firme forest. It is quite a striking jacamar, having bright iridescent green upperparts, and rich chestnut underparts, including the undersurface of the tail. Sexes differ slightly, with males having a white throat. It gets its name from the entirely yellow lower mandible. The Yellow-billed Jacamar is most similar to Blue-cheeked Jacamar, which has more iridescent “blue” cheeks, an entirely yellow bill, and males lack the white throat. They are not known to overlap, apparently separated by the Amazon River. Yellow-billed does overlap with the Purplish Jacamar (Galbula chalcothorax), which lacks the chestnut, and prefers the mid-story of both varzea and “transitional” forest. It is also sympatric with White-chinned Jacamar (Galbula tombacea), which favors dense vegetation along the edges of slow-moving streams and oxbow lakes, is larger, and has chestnut restricted to the lower belly. Like other jacamars, the Yellow-billed Jacamar forages by sallying out from low branches for flying insects.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

18–21 cm; 16–24 g. Male has metallic purplish or coppery gloss on crown; rest of upperparts  , including sides of head and neck, shining emerald-green; primaries dull black; tail relatively short and moderately rounded, outer rectrices brown, more cinnamon towards bases; chin buff, throat white  , entire rest of underparts  pale cinnamon-rufous; bill  3·5–4·3 cm long (2·8–3·4 cm from nostril), slender, pale yellow, upper mandible tipped dusky or blackish; iris dark brown; bare eyering and loral region yellow; feet yellow, black claws. Female has rufous-buff throat, as well as slightly paler underparts. Immature undescribed.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

18–21 cm; 16·9–22·9 g. Previously considered conspecific with <em>G. albirostris</em> (see Taxonomy comments), but present species is slightly larger (bill 3·1–3·8 cm from nostril), all or most of upper mandible dusky or black, upperparts metallic bronzy green, crown more bronzy purple, chin darker, lower underparts richer darker cinnamon-rufous. Male has white throat; pale cinnamon-rufous in female.

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Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

E Colombia (Mitú, Vaupés), S & E Venezuela (S of R Orinoco and E of R Caura), the Guianas and N Brazil (N of Amazon).

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

S Venezuela (upper R Orinoco) (1 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ); SE Colombia E of Andes (S of Meta) through E Ecuador and W Brazil (upper R Negro) to NE Peru (S to upper R Ucayali).

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

In contrast to other jacamars, inhabits mainly interior of primary and mature secondary terra firme, várzea and igapó forest, most frequently at small clearings, treefall gaps, occasionally at edge. Also vine-tangled woodland, less commonly in gallery forest or sandy coastal forest. Usually below 900 m, but recorded to 1300 m in Venezuela. Generally frequents lower level to mid-level, 1–10 m above ground.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

Similar to that of G. albirostris, although in E Ecuador and NE Peru it seems to be confined to terra firme forest. Recorded to 800 m in Peru, but only below 400 m in Ecuador.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

Sedentary.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

Insects  , including Coleoptera (e.g. Cassididae), Hemiptera, Homoptera (e.g. Cicadidae), Odonata  , Diptera, and Hymenoptera including, e.g., ants (Formicidae: Ponerinae), bees (Apidae), and wasps (Vespidae) 10–15 mm long. Stomachs sometimes contain large numbers of winged termites (Isoptera). Possibly also takes Lepidoptera. Sits on open perches, typically in pairs, sallying forth from time to time to catch passing insects. Often joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

Presumably similar or identical to G. albirostris; stomachs of three birds all contained insects, including beetles and a roach (2 Willard, D. E., M. S. Foster, G. F. Barrowclough, R. W. Dickerman, P. F. Cannell, S. L. Coats, J. L. Cracraft, and J. P. O’Neill (1991). The birds of Cerro de la Neblina, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela. Fieldiana Zoology (New Series) 65:1–80. Close ).

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

Song a high-pitched “peea peea-pee-pee-te-t-t-e’e’e’e’e’e” or “peea-pee-pee-te-t-t-t’t’t’t’t’ttttt’r”, terminating in long rattling trill; calls a sharp “peek”, “tew” and “trra”, sometimes in rapid series, given by single bird or several together. Young in nest called “where ... whe-je-e-e-e-e-e-e” (3 Oniki, Y., and E. O. Willis (1982). Breeding records of birds from Manaus, Brazil. Part II. Apodidae to Furnariidae. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 42(4):745–752. Close ).

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

No known differences between this species and <em>G. albirostris</em> . Vocally, considered to be probably indistinguishable from G. cyanicollis (4 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ).

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

Breeds during dry season in the Guianas, i.e. Jun–Sept in Surinam, Jul–Nov in French Guiana; young in nest late Dec, Manaus, C Amazonian Brazil (3 Oniki, Y., and E. O. Willis (1982). Breeding records of birds from Manaus, Brazil. Part II. Apodidae to Furnariidae. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 42(4):745–752. Close ); at least occasionally double-brooded, as pair in French Guiana laid first clutch end Jul, followed by a second clutch in a new cavity in early Nov. Five reported nests were all excavated in arboreal termitaria 1·5–4 m (3 Oniki, Y., and E. O. Willis (1982). Breeding records of birds from Manaus, Brazil. Part II. Apodidae to Furnariidae. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 42(4):745–752. Close ) above ground, these apparently often attached to the spiny bark of mature Astrocaryum sciophilum in French Guiana; nest possibly sometimes in earth bank, as with congeners, although so far this has not been confirmed. Clutch two eggs; no information on incubation and fledging periods, but adults observed delivering food to their young without perching at nest-hole (3 Oniki, Y., and E. O. Willis (1982). Breeding records of birds from Manaus, Brazil. Part II. Apodidae to Furnariidae. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 42(4):745–752. Close ).

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Yellow-billed)

Not globally threatened. Generally fairly common in Amazonian Brazil, S Venezuela and the Guianas. No immediate threats are known but, since this species is more restricted to forest interior (and usually that of mature forest), it is presumably sensitive to deforestation and other types of habitat destruction. Indeed, a population in French Guiana declined dramatically in response to selective logging. Occurs in several protected areas throughout its range, e.g. Nouragues Natural Reserve, in French Guiana, and Imataca Forest Reserve and El Dorado, in Venezuela.

Yellow-billed Jacamar (Cerise-crowned)