Jacamar

Jacamars are a family of elegant birds found in the tropics. They live in Central and South America. Some species live as far north as Mexico. This family is scientifically named Galbulidae. They are most common in low-altitude woodlands and forests. You can often find them at the forest edge or in the canopy. The canopy is the high layer of leaves in a forest.

These birds are important parts of their tropical ecosystems. They help control insect populations by hunting them.

Most jacamars are small to medium-sized perching birds. They have long tails and long, thin bills. Their feathers are often bright and highly iridescent. Iridescence is a shine that changes when you look at it from different angles. Some species have duller feathers, and males often have a white patch on their breast. They have short, weak legs. Their feet are zygodactyl, meaning they have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward.

This foot structure helps them perch effectively.

Jacamars are insectivores, which means they eat insects. Most species hunt by a method called hawking. They sit on a favorite perch to watch for movement. When an insect flies close enough, the bird flies out to catch it in the air. Many species specialize in eating butterflies and moths. The great jacamar is an exception to this rule. It hunts by gleaning, which is picking prey off of surfaces. The great jacamar also eats spiders and small lizards.

Scientists have studied the history of how jacamars are classified. For a long time, their exact place in the bird family tree was a question. Some features in their bones and muscles suggested they might be related to Coraciiformes. However, researchers used DNA to find better answers. A 2003 study analyzed nuclear DNA to look at their genetic history. This study showed they are a sister group to the rest of the Piciformes.

A sister group is a group that is very closely related to another.

Other researchers helped confirm these findings. Ericson and his colleagues analyzed genomic DNA to study their relationships. They confirmed that jacamars and puffbirds are sister groups. Because they are so close, they are often placed in their own order called Galbuliformes. This order is separate from the Piciformes. The study also showed that these groups developed zygodactyl feet before they separated. This tells us a lot about how they evolved over time.

There are 18 species of jacamars within the Galbulidae family. These species are organized into five different genera. The family is closely related to puffbirds. The number of species is based on lists from the International Ornithological Committee. This group of birds is quite small compared to other bird orders. However, their specific niche in the forest is very important. They occupy specific layers of the tropical forest to find food.

We do not know a great deal about how jacamars breed. Most scientists think they are monogamous, meaning they have one partner. Some species might use cooperative breeding. In this system, several adults share the duties of raising young. Jacamars nest in holes. Some species nest in the soil, while others use arboreal termite mounds. Arboreal means living in trees. Ground-nesting species often use river banks or the soil near fallen trees.

When they nest in banks, they can sometimes live in loose colonies. This means several nests are near each other. A clutch is a group of eggs laid at one time. Jacamar clutches usually have between one and four eggs. Both parents help with incubation, which is keeping the eggs warm. In the rufous-tailed jacamar, incubation lasts between 19 and 26 days. When the chicks hatch, they are born with down feathers. This is a unique trait among all the Piciformes.