American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

American Pygmy Kingfisher

Chloroceryle aenea (Pallas, 1764)

13 cmLength14 gWeight

The American pygmy kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea) is a species of "water kingfisher" in subfamily Cerylinae of family Alcedinidae.

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Panama, Belize

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Costa Rica, Panama, Belize

American Pygmy Kingfisher has been recorded at 347 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 21 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Refugio mixto Caño NegroCosta Rica2,478 records
  2. Tárcoles – Tour en BoteCosta Rica1,569 records
  3. Summit PondsPanama981 records
More places
  1. Sani LodgeEcuador842 records
  2. Via Parque Isla de Salamanca – Centro Administrativo Los CocosColombia585 records
  3. Donde Cope- La Unión de GuápilesCosta Rica583 records
  4. Caroni SwampTrinidad & Tobago573 records
  5. Medio Queso wetlandCosta Rica510 records
  6. Sacha LodgeEcuador441 records
  7. Changuinola Canal – San San-Pond SakPanama427 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Costa RicaPanamaBelizeBrazilEcuadorColombiaPeruTrinidad & Tobago

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The American pygmy kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea) is a species of "water kingfisher" in subfamily Cerylinae of family Alcedinidae. It is found in the American tropics from southern Mexico south through Central America into every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay. It also occurs on Trinidad.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the American Pygmy Kingfisher?

The American Pygmy Kingfisher is about 13 cm long and weighs around 14 g.

Where does the American Pygmy Kingfisher live?

Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Panama and Belize.

When is the best time to see the American Pygmy Kingfisher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the American Pygmy Kingfisher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the American Pygmy Kingfisher as Least Concern.

What does the American Pygmy Kingfisher eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the American Pygmy Kingfisher in?

It belongs to the family Kingfishers (Alcedinidae), order Coraciiformes.

At a glance

Length
13 cm
Weight
14 g
Habitat
Rivers & streams
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
56 mm
Tail
34 mm
Bill
31 mm
Tarsus
8 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America, South America: southern Mexico to northern Argentina

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
Genus
Chloroceryle

Other birds in the genus Chloroceryle

Amazon KingfisherAmazon KingfisherChloroceryle amazonaGreen KingfisherGreen KingfisherChloroceryle americanaGreen-and-rufous KingfisherGreen-and-rufous KingfisherChloroceryle indaGreen-backed KingfisherGreen-backed KingfisherActenoides monachusScaly-breasted KingfisherScaly-breasted KingfisherActenoides princepsMoustached KingfisherMoustached KingfisherActenoides bougainvilleiSpotted Wood KingfisherSpotted Wood KingfisherActenoides lindsayiBlue-capped KingfisherBlue-capped KingfisherActenoides hombroniRufous-collared KingfisherRufous-collared KingfisherActenoides concretusHook-billed KingfisherHook-billed KingfisherMelidora macrorrhina
American Pygmy Kingfisher

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Paul Cools. ↗

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