Jacamerops aureus (P.L.S.Müller, 1776)

Common Name and Size

Jacamerops aureus, commonly called the great jacamar, measures 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) in length and weighs between 57 and 70 g (2.0 and 2.5 oz). As its name suggests, it is the largest species in the jacamar family, and far bulkier than any other jacamar species.

Male Plumage

For adult males, the chin, cheeks, and upper body are bright metallic green with gold overtones; the chin, forehead, and tail carry a blueish tinge, and the back has purple copper tones. The lower throat is white, and the rest of the underbody is deep rufous.

Male Soft Parts and Appendages

The primary flight feathers are black, the tail is blue-black, the bill is black below, and the legs are dark horn-colored.

Female Plumage Difference

Females resemble males, but lack the white patch on the throat.

Foot Structure

Like all members of the order Piciformes, jacamars have zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward and two facing backward. This toe arrangement helps jacamars grasp branches while hunting in trees.

Evolutionary Radiation

Researcher J. Haffer concluded that jacamars underwent a relatively recent Pleistocene radiation of the family, because 13 of the 17 recognized species in the Galbulidae (jacamar) family belong to superspecies complexes.

Species Origin

Jacamars are thought to have originated in the Amazon region, where they are most common, before spreading to other parts of Central and South America.

Family Anatomical Traits

Unique anatomical traits shared by the entire jacamar family include a long appendix, no gall bladder, a bare preen gland, and a long, thin tongue.

Habitat Altitude

The natural habitat of Jacamerops aureus is undisturbed tropical forest up to 500 m (1,640 ft) in altitude.

Microhabitat Use

It occupies the middle levels of the canopy and the shaded interior edges of rainforest, most often near stream banks.

Cryptic Behavior

It can be hard to spot, because it is known to stay still in a single spot for long periods of time.

Breeding Period

Breeding occurs from March to May or June.

Nest Location

The nest is a chamber built inside an arboreal termite nest, located 3 to 15 m (10 to 49 ft) above the ground. The great jacamar bores its own hole into these elevated termitaria to create the nesting chamber.

Incubation Duration

Incubation for Jacamerops aureus eggs lasts approximately 20 to 23 days.

Chick Development

Chicks leave the nest around 21 to 26 days after hatching; when they emerge, they are fully covered in white down.

Clutch Characteristics

Females lay one to four round, glossy, white eggs.

Parental Care Overview

Both the male and female take turns incubating eggs and caring for hatchlings.

Daytime Incubation Routine

During the day, each parent takes incubation shifts of one to three hours at a time.

Nighttime Incubation Routine

At night, the female incubates alone, while the male remains near the nest to defend it. Jacamars rarely leave eggs unattended.

Diet Composition

This species feeds on insects caught in flight, and spiders collected from vegetation.

Feeding Behavior

It waits perched in the canopy, then pursues prey, beats it against a branch to subdue it, and then consumes it. Some jacamars will also eat small vertebrates such as lizards.