Purus Jacamar Galbalcyrhynchus purusianus Scientific name definitions

The Purus Jacamar is a heavy, chestnut jacamar of forest edge. It forms a superspecies with the similar White-eared Jacamar (Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis), which it closely resembles in all respects except cheek color. The Purus Jacamar occurs in southwestern Amazonia south of the Amazon River and east of the Ucayali River, while the White-eared is distributed to the north and west. Both species are large and stocky, with chestnut plumage, glossy blackish wings and tail, and a heavy pink bill. Like other jacamars, the Purus Jacamar forages on aerial insects by sallying from a perch. It apparently breeds in holes and may be a co-operative breeder. Birds are often seen perched in relatively open areas in groups of 4-6 individuals.

20 cm; 50 g. Forehead, crown, wings and tail dark bronzy  or greenish-black; plumage otherwise chestnut ; large bill 5·2–5·5 cm (4·4–4·7 cm from nostril), light pinkish, tipped dark; iris bright red; bare eyering and loral region pinkish-red  ; feet relatively large, pinkish-red. Differs from very similar G. leucotis in lacking white ear-coverts. Immature paler, bill smaller.

E Peru (Madre de Dios, Puno, upper R Ucayali) to W Brazil (upper R Juruá and R Purus) and N Bolivia (Beni, Pando).

Inhabits borders of lowland primary and secondary terra firme and várzea forest , often near rivers (where found on young river islands) (2 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 ), oxbow lakes, swamps with Cecropia and palms. By R Manu, in Peru, frequents middle successional stages (mixed canopy, Ficus/Cedrela and transitional forest). Rarely in forest interior. In Beni, in Bolivia, has been observed perching on roadside electricity wires in settled areas.

Sedentary.

Insects  , usually wasps and bees (Hymenoptera) and termites (Isoptera); of 21 prey items recorded at Cocha Cashu, Peru, all were Hymenoptera. Also reported to catch fish in Peru, although this probably the result of confusion with kingfishers (Alcedinidae). Large bill does, however, suggest that some large prey may be taken. Groups of 1–6 forage from mid-level to canopy. Insects caught by horizontal sallying from a perch , typically in an open tree, e.g. Cecropia, with ost sallies over 4–8 m, sometimes 20–30 m, and usually returning to initial perch (3 Whittaker, A. (2004). Noteworthy ornithological records from Rondônia, Brazil, including a first country record, comments on austral migration, life history, taxonomy and distribution, with relevant data from neighbouring states, and a first record for Bolivia. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 124(4):239–271. Close ). Hymenoptera beaten thoroughly on perch before consumption.

Call a series of loud “peeeur” whistles and a sharp “pee”; vocalizations considered to be effectively identical to those of G. leucotis (2 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 ). Playback will often result in entire group, one by one, flying towards source of sound (often from some distance) and, on landing again (usually on same branch, perched side by side), giving long. excited rattle calls, energetically head-bobbing with their crest feathers erect and pumping their tails, which behaviour is also exhibited commonly by G. leucotis (3 Whittaker, A. (2004). Noteworthy ornithological records from Rondônia, Brazil, including a first country record, comments on austral migration, life history, taxonomy and distribution, with relevant data from neighbouring states, and a first record for Bolivia. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 124(4):239–271. Close ).

Hole-excavation observed in late Oct in Peru; nest  3 m above ground in SW Brazil (Rondônia) in Aug. Probably co-operative breeder; groups of 4–6 sometimes sing and display together. In Peru, six individuals observed excavating a single burrow in a Nasutitermes corniger (4 Brightsmith, D.J. (2004). Nest sites of termitarium nesting birds in SE Peru. Orn. Neotropical. 15(3): 319–330. Close ) termitarium 4·7 m above ground (also inhabited by large colony of biting Dolichoderus sp. ants) (4 Brightsmith, D.J. (2004). Nest sites of termitarium nesting birds in SE Peru. Orn. Neotropical. 15(3): 319–330. Close ), burrow volume 143 litres (4 Brightsmith, D.J. (2004). Nest sites of termitarium nesting birds in SE Peru. Orn. Neotropical. 15(3): 319–330. Close ); cavity was occupied during the day, thus almost certainly a nest, although breeding not confirmed and possibility that hole functioned as a roost-site not ruled out. Tunnel ran c. 15 cm into mound at vertical angle of +40°; the entrance to tunnel had diameter of 7 cm, while the chamber was c. 15 cm in diameter and 13 cm high (4 Brightsmith, D.J. (2004). Nest sites of termitarium nesting birds in SE Peru. Orn. Neotropical. 15(3): 319–330. Close ). No further information available.

Not globally threatened. Locally fairly common, e.g. in Acre (Brazil) (5 Guilherme, E., and S. M. Dantas (2011). Avifauna of the upper Purus River, state of Acre, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 19(2): 185–199. Close ), but generally scarce in Peru. Occurs in Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru. Apparently tolerates disturbed and partially man-modified habitats, and no specific threats are known.