Birds of the Atlantic Forest
Ringed kingfisher
Megaceryle torquataMartim-pescador-grande
Two hours still above the water. Then, one second.
- Habitat
- Rivers, streams and lagoons with high perches over the water.
- Season
- Resident year-round.
- Size
- 38 to 41 cm
- We look for it on
- Golden Hour Kayak
It is the largest kingfisher in the Americas, with a ragged crest that never settles, a slate-blue back, a white collar and a rufous chest visible from far off. The female adds a blue band across her breast.
It picks a high branch over clear water and stays. It can go two hours without moving, looking down: patience is its method, and it has surprised everyone who set out to time it. When it decides, it drops head first and comes up with the fish. Unlike its northern cousins it almost never hovers; it prefers the perch. Male and female defend their stretch of river all year.
Where we look for it
Golden Hour Kayak
Two ways onto the water: the rapids of the streams, and the still mirror of Lake Urugua-í at sunset.
Photo: Andreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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