The blue-necked jacamar or blue-cheeked jacamar is a species of bird in the family Galbulidae. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland humid forests of eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and western to central Amazonian Brazil. Prefers forest edges, riverbanks, oxbow lakes, and clearings with nearby mature forest, as well as secondary growth. Common along shaded streams and in light gaps where aerial insects are abundant. Generally avoids the darkest forest interior but uses midstory and lower canopy perches.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the blue-cheeked jacamar, this striking Amazonian bird hawks insects from shaded perches along forest edges and waterways. It often sits motionless before sallying out to snatch butterflies, dragonflies, and wasps with a long, needle-like bill. Pairs excavate nesting burrows in sandy or earthen banks, sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Temperament
quiet and watchful
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from a perch
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family groups. Pairs dig burrows in earthen or sandy banks, road cuts, or river edges, where they lay and incubate a small clutch. Both parents feed the nestlings with captured insects and may reuse favored perches within a territory.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high, thin, whistled notes and soft trills, often delivered from a shaded perch. Calls can form a short descending series and include sharp tseep or seee contact notes.
