Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
AMAZON KINGFISHER – (Species Account Blog #108)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Coraciiformes – kingfishers, todies, motmots, bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes, and hornbills,
- FAMILY: Alcedinidae – Kingfishers,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Chloroceryle amazona
The Amazon Kingfisher is a resident of lakeshores and large-slow flowing rivers from northern Mexico south to central Argentina. They are large dark bronzy green birds with a ragged crest, a white throat and collar, and a white belly; the breast of the male is rufous, while the female has a narrower green breastband.. (from Birds of the World)
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
Similar to the Ringed Kingfisher, we observed Amazon Kingfishers at low to mid-elevations at the Tárcoles River, near Sarapiquí and Arenal Volcano NP.
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 
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