Green Kingfisher /martín pescador verde (Chloroceryle americana)
Voice: Commonly heard vocalization is its soft, dry ticking rattle; also makes “squishy” buzzing call and high-pitched squealing noises.
Habitat: Riparian woodlands; shade trees on the banks of rivers and resacas, preferring sheltered pools.
Best Spots: Estero Llano Grande State Park, Riparian woodlands in the Santa Ana NWR and Falcon Dam area, including Salineño and Chapeño. A virtual “can’t miss” bird on Friends of the Wildlife Corridor canoe trips. Sometimes seen at Willow 1 at Santa Ana NWR, the ephemeral resaca at Bentsen SP, the Resaca Trail Loop at Sabal Palm Grove, and the World Birding Center’s Edinburg Scenic Wetlands among others.
Similar Species: This small kingfisher is unlike both Belted and Ringed Kingfisher in size, plumage, and manner of flight. In contrast to the two larger kingfishers, Green Kingfishers perch on low branches and fly low over the water’s surface.
A speaker symbol next to the bird indicates that it has a sound file available.All Bird call recordings © John C. Arvin.
Call (956) 584-2731 to hear or submit an alert.
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley (Mission)
- Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
- Estero Llano Grande (Weslaco)
- Harlingen Arroyo Colorado
- Old Hidalgo Pumphouse
- Quinta Mazatlan (McAllen)
- Resaca de la Palma (Brownsville)
- Roma Bluffs
- South Padre Island Birding
and Nature Center
Welcome to a birder’s eye view of the seasons in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Enjoy our annual cycle! The resulting avifauna in deep South Texas is the most diverse north of the Mexican border. The four county area that makes up the lower Rio Grande Valley has recorded over 500 species of birds. This is more species of birds than have been recorded in all but two or three entire states. Small wonder that birders from across the continent make pilgrimages to the region. Happy Birding!
A "Bird Checklist" is a complete list of birds that have been seen or heard in a specific region like Texas or the Rio Grande Valley. Checklists can be used as a personal diary of your travels.
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