Galbula dea
The Paradise Jacamar (Galbula dea) is a strikingly beautiful Neotropical bird, instantly recognizable by its exceptionally long, slender tail, which can account for almost half of its total length of 28-34 cm (11-13.5 inches). Weighing between 26-32 grams, its plumage is a glossy, iridescent black, shimmering with deep blue, green, or purplish hues depending on the light, providing effective camouflage in the rainforest understory. Males typically sport a prominent white throat patch, while f...
Primarily inhabits humid lowland tropical rainforests, often frequenting forest edges, riverine forests, and clearings, typically found below 600 meters (2,000 feet) in elevation.
Feeds almost exclusively on a wide variety of aerial insects, including butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bees, wasps, and beetles, which are captured during agile sallies from a perch.
This diurnal jacamar is typically observed singly or in pairs, perching motionless for extended periods on exposed branches, often in the mid-story of the forest. From its vantage point, it employs a sit-and-wait foraging strategy, sallying out with astonishing speed and agility to snatch flying ...
The Paradise Jacamar boasts a wide and stable distribution across the vast Amazon Basin of South America. Its range extends from southeastern Colombia and southern Venezuela, eastward through Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Southward, it is found extensively across eastern Ecuador, eastern P...
Least Concern
- The Paradise Jacamar's tail, with its two greatly elongated central streamers, can be as long as its entire body, making it one of the most disproportionately long-tailed birds. - Despite their vibrant, iridescent plumage, they can be surprisingly difficult to spot as they often perch motionles...