Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Blue and Yellow Macaw
Latin: Ara ararauna
Other: Arara-canindé (Br) • Guacamayo azul y amarillo (Es)
Family: Psittacidae • Parrots, Macaws
Range: Amazonia: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Guyanas and Colombia
Similar:

The fabulous Blue and Yellow Macaw seen here in Para on farmland. Unfortunately the Blue and Yellow Macaw is often seen in zoos or captive - wonderful here to walk up to a beautiful wild pair.

They were chewing on an old stump in the early morning in a section of fields in Para that was a large roosting ground for parrots of various different sorts, and just getting ready to fly to their feeding grounds further north for the day.

The Blue and Yellow Macaw is a large bird, yellow-orange on the underside, blue on the upperside, large black bill, long tail - no other bird like it.

Below: A wild Blue-and-Yellow Macaw in flight, Para, Brazil, Sep 2011
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Pantanal, August 2011

Bird name: Black Collared Hawk
Latin: Busarellus nigricollis
Other: Gavião-belo (Br) • águila colorada (Es)
Family: Accipitridae • Hawks, Birds of Prey
Range: Mexico to Uruguay incl Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela etc
Similar: Savanna Hawk

I saw Black Collared Hawks regularly during my week in the Pantanal (but nowhere else). Difficult to drive down the Transpantaneira highway without seeing one.

The Black Collared Hawk is an attractive hawk, and reminded me of the Savanna Hawk, but was easy to identify by its black collar, even in the juvenile (see further below). Head white. In adults body is mostly rufous tones with blackish flight feathers, but juveniles have light patches - especially on chest - and are browner. Often by roadsides or riversides. Takes up similar positions to Roadside Hawks.

Below: Adult Black Collared Hawk taking off, Pantanal, Brazil, Aug 2011


Below: Juvenile Black Collared Hawk, Pantanal, Brazil, Aug 2011
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Serra dos Tucanos, September 2011

Bird name: Blue Naped Chlorophonia
Latin: Chlorophonia cyanea
Other: Bonito-do-campo, Bandeirinha (Br) • Tangará bonito (Es)
Family: Fringillidae • Chlorophonias
Range: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela
Similar:

The riotously colourful Blue Naped Chlorophonia at the Serra dos Tucanos Lodge feeders in September.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, Brazil, August 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Amazon Kingfisher
Latin: Chloroceryle amazona
Other: Martim-pescador-verde (Br) • Martín pescador amazónico (Es)
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range: Mexico to Argentina, including all Brazil
Similar: Green Kingfisher

The Amazon Kingfisher is a large river kingfisher. The male Amazon Kingfisher (pictured directly below) has a rufous chest. The female Amazon Kingfisher (above) has white and green markings. They are much larger than Green Kingfishers and have less white wing spotting than the latter.

Several near Curicaca Lodge in the Pantanal in August, above ditches beside small roads and above rivers.

Also seen in Amazonia above river banks and in Rio Grande do Sul on telephone wires above wetlands.

Below: a male Amazon Kingfisher in the Pantanal.


Below: a female Amazon Kingfisher in the Pantanal, August.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, Brazil, August 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Ringed Kingfisher
Latin: Megaceryle torquata
Other: Martim-pescador-grande (Br) • Martín pescador grande, Martín pescador de collar (Es)
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range: Texas to Tierra del Fuego, including all of Brazil
Similar:

The Ringed Kingfisher is a large kingfisher, which seemed abundant on the banks of the Rio Claro, in the Pantanal, in August; one was perched every few hundred metres in some places. A large, dominant and vocal bird. Also seen beside roads near drying pools, and in by the river in Napo, Ecuador.

The female Ringed Kingfisher (directly below) has a grey chest, while the male (above) is rufous right up to the white neck line. Bill has a light yellow patch on lower base. Rufous belly, grey wings, white collar, large white patch in front of eye; grey plumage is diagnostic.

Below: female Ringed Kingfisher in the Pantanal, Brazil, 2011.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, Brazil, August 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Green Kingfisher
Latin: Chloroceryle americana
Other: Martín pescador verde (Es) • Martim-pescador-pequeno (Br)
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range: SW USA to N Argentina
Similar: Amazon Kingfisher

The male Green Kingfisher (above) has a white neck, rufous chest, green head and back, white-spotted black wings and white underneath. The female (below) lacks the rufous colouring.

A smaller bird than the Amazon Kingfisher. Seen regularly in the Pantanal on the banks of the Rio Claro, at Curicaca Lodge, for example. Also Ecuador in the Oriente and Panama in the Canal Zone.

A presumed female Green Kingfisher at Pousada Curicaca.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, Brazil, August 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Green and Rufous Kingfisher
Latin: Chloroceryle inda
Other: Martín pescador verdirrufo (Es) • Martim-pescador-da-mata (Br)
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range: Nicaragua to Brazil
Similar: American Pygmy Kingfisher

Just one poor shot of a Green and Rufous Kingfisher in the Pantanal on the banks of the Rio Claro, at Curicaca Lodge. I saw them a couple of times but they seemed less common than the other kingfishers.

Rufous on the entire underside extending to the tail differentiates them from the American Pygmy Kingfisher, which is also much smaller. Some orange on the throat. Females have some green on the upper chest

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Tanzania • 2011

Bird name: Striped Kingfisher
Latin: Halcyon chelicuti
Other: Martin-chasseur strié (Fr)
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range: Tropical Africa

Thanks to Tom for this shot of a Striped Kingfisher in Tanzania.

Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, Brazil, August 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Rufous Tailed Jacamar
Latin: Galbula ruficauda
Other: Jacamará colirrufo (Es) • Ariramba-de-cauda-ruiva (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Southern Mexico, Central America to Brazil (south of Amazon)
Similar:

I was pleased to see Rufous-tailed Jacamars on several occasions during my 5 days in the Pantanal.

Sometimes they would swoop in front of me, while I was walking on a forest path alone, and then alight on a nearby bare horizontal branch of medium thickness.

They would then perch calmly, or if I got too close, move to another similar spot. They seemed confiding and were good subjects and very photogenic. Sometimes seemed to be in mixed flocks too.

The male Rufous-tailed Jacamar, above, has a white chin and rich rufous belly, while the female, pictured directly below, has a paler belly and pale chin.

Curicaca Lodge in the Pantanal was very good for this bird. There was one at the start of the path behind the lodge (near the killer bees!) with a fair amount of light coming through the trees there.

Below, female Rufous-tailed Jacamar at Pouso Alegre, Pantanal, Brazil, August.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Rio state, Brazil, September 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Three Toed Jacamar
Latin: Jacamaralcyon tridactyla
Other: Cuitelão (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: SE Brazil, Rio de Janeiro state
Similar: Brown Jacamar (not much overlap)

We saw this pair of Three-toed Jacamars in the north of Rio state on a long excursion from Serra dos Tucanos. They’re now classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red list, due to habitat loss, and probably extinct from Sao Paulo state.

The Three-toed Jacamar is slightly browner around the head than one might expect from some illustrations. Note dark bill and white underparts including chest differentiate it from the Brown Jacamar.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Para, Brazil, September 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Bronzy Jacamar
Latin: Galbula leucogastra
Other: Jacamará bronceado (Es) • Ariramba-bronzeada (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
Similar:

Just record shots of this Bronzy Jacamar in Para state, Brazil. Note white neck and bronzy chest.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Para, Brazil, September 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Paradise Jacamar
Latin: Galbula dea
Other: Ariramba-do-paraiso (Br) • Jacamará colilargo, jacamar del paraíso, jacamar negro (Es)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyanas
Similar:

The Paradise Jacamar has a long thin tail but is very dark, with a white collar and long straight bill. Seen here at Rio Azul Lodge in southern Amazonia.

Copyright: monacoeye • Para, Brazil, September 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Blue Necked Jacamar
Latin: Galbula cyanicollis
Other: Blue-cheeked Jacamar • Jacamará cariazul, jacamar de cuello azul (Es) • Ariramba-de-mata (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Amazonia south of the Amazon: Bolivia, Peru, Brazil
Similar: Yellow-billed Jacamar, Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

The Blue-necked Jacamar is similar to the Yellow-billed Jacamar but lives south of the Amazon while the latter lives north of the Amazon.

The Blue-necked Jacamar has a yellow bill, no green on chest. More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Napo, Ecuador, 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Yellow Billed Jacamar
Latin: Galbula albirostris
Other: Jacamar piquiamarillo (Es) • Ariramba de bico amarelo (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Amazonia, north of Amazon: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Similar: Blue-necked Jacamar

Thanks to Tom for this shot of a Yellow-billed Jacamar in the Oriente, Napo, Ecuador. Note darker cap than Blue-necked Jacamar.

Copyright: monacoeye • Napo, Ecuador, May 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Eared Jacamar
Latin: Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis
Other: Jacamar orejiblanco (Es) • Ariramba vermelha (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
Similar:

The taxi driver spotted this White-eared Jacamar on a telephone wire beside the road, not far from Tena, Napo, Ecuador.

The White-eared Jacamar has a heavy bill and characteristic white ear patch. Otherwise reddish.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pipeline Rd, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Great Jacamar
Latin: Jacamerops aureus
Other: Jacamará, jacamará grande (Es) • Jacamaraçu (Br)
Family: Galbulidae • Jacamars
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, NW Ecuador, Amazonia
Similar:

This Great Jacamar was somehow difficult to see, despite its vivid colours, as it sat motionless on an overhanging branch. Not a very common bird in Panama, we only saw one, here on the Pipeline Rd.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Rio Azul Lodge, Brazil, Sep 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Swallow Winged Puffbird
Latin: Chelidoptera tenebrosa
Other: Swallow-wing • Urubuzinho (Br) • Buco golondrina (Es), chacurú golondrina, monjita culiblanca, aguantasol
Family: Bucconidae • Puffbirds
Range: Amazonia: Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Guyanas; E Brazil
Similar:

There were a good number of Swallow-winged Puffbirds near the cabins at Rio Azul Lodge, in Para, Brazil, mostly visible around midday, often on telephone wires. This Amazonian bird burrows in the ground and can be seen throwing sand out of its burrow (photo below). Not too shy at midday.

Swallow-winged Puffbirds are often referred to by the name Swallow-wings. They are mostly blackish, with a red patch on the lower belly and white vent and underwings. The Brazilian name is Urubuzinho, which means little vulture.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Pantanal, Brazil, August.

Bird name: Grey Necked Wood Rail
Latin: Aramides cajanea
Other: Gray-necked Wood-rail • Saracura-três-potes (Br) • Chiricote (Es), Rascón cuello gris, Chilacoa colinegra
Family: Rallidae • Rails
Range: Mexico to Argentina, incl Brazil etc.
Similar:

Grey-necked Wood-Rails were one of the most frequently seen birds in the Pantanal in August - always in or near water. The riverbanks around Curicaca Lodge usually produced one or two, often near jacarés, and once beside a capuchin monkey which was drinking from the river.

Grey-necked Wood-rails are medium-sized colourful birds with red legs, rufous underparts, grey neck, yellow-green bill and red irises. The grey neck is diagnostic. They are found throughout Central America and South America east of the Andes.

Below, close-up of a Grey-necked Wood Rail, Pantanal, Brazil, August.
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