Green Kingfisher

On the afternoon of 4 July, we took a tourist boat trip along the Rio Tarcoles and an adjacent mangrove stream. This Green Kingfisher, a female, judging by her lack of chestnut on her breast, greeted us. Her identity is confirmed by her white wing spots. Green Kingfishers are also found in southern Texas and southern Arizona. From there they range all the way into central Argentina. I was happy to get a photo—my first for the species.

Green Kingfishers mostly dive for small fish. They are uncommon the United States, where they prefer small, clear streams.  They have declined in our country as a result of urban development, loss of natural waterways, and pollution (Moskoff 2002).