A medium-sized kingfisher with bright emerald green plumage on the upperparts, head and wings. The belly is white with a rufous (chestnut) breast band in the male, or a band of green spots in the female. The bill is long and black. The tail is short. It measures 19 to 21 cm. It prefers narrower and shadier streams, channels and lagoon edges than the large kingfisher, and is more discreet and harder to see.
Behaviour
Solitary and fast. It moves through the riverbank vegetation low over the water, using low perches over the water to keep watch. When hunting, it may hover briefly before diving. Its call is a sharp, metallic "ti-ti-ti," very different from that of the ringed kingfisher.
How and when to see it
Year round in shaded channels and streams. Harder to see than the ringed kingfisher because of its preference for narrow, shaded channels. Portal Laguna Iberá and Galarza.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where green kingfisher has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where green kingfisher lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Horseback journeys across a network of refuges in Iberá. Multi-day rides with overnight…★ 5.0 - Jurassic Plant - Night Tour
The only carnivorous-plant garden in Argentina and a pioneer in Latin America. A guided…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Guided hiking. Guided visit to museums, historic sites, chapels and trails of the town…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameGreen Kingfisher
- Scientific nameChloroceryle americana
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
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