Galbulidae – Jacamars

The Galbulidae (Jacamars) are a near passerine family of tropical tree-dwelling insectivorous birds that are found from South America up to Mexico. Together with their closest relatives, the Bucconidae (Puffbirds), they form a divergent lineage from the Piciformes, in a separate order, the Galbuliformes.

The family contains 18 species in five genera. They are closely related to the puffbirds, another Neotropical family, and the two families are separated into their own order, Galbuliformes, separate from the Piciformes. They are principally birds of low-altitude woodlands and forests, and particularly of forest edge and canopy.

Jacamars are small to medium-sized perching birds, 14cm to 34cm in length and weighing 17g to 75g. They are elegant, glossy birds with long bills and tails. In appearance and behaviour, they resemble the Old-World bee-eaters, as most aerial insectivores tend to have short, wide bills rather than long, thin ones.

The legs are short and weak, and the feet are zygodactylic (two forward-pointing toes, two backward-pointing). Their plumage is often bright and highly iridescent, although it is quite dull in a few species. There are minor differences in plumage based on sex, males often having a white patch on the breast.

White-eared Jacamar Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis

They are insectivores, taking a variety of insect prey (many specialise on butterflies and moths) by hawking in the air. Birds sit in favoured perches and sally towards the prey when it is close enough. Only the Great Jacamar varies from the rest of the family, taking prey by gleaning and occasionally taking small lizards and spiders.

Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda

Their breeding systems have not been studied in depth. They are thought to generally be monogamous, although a few species are thought to engage in cooperative breeding sometimes, with several adults sharing duties. The family nests in holes either in the soil or in arboreal termite mounds. Ground-nesting species usually nest in the banks of rivers (or, more recently, roads), although if these are not available, they will nest in the soil held by the roots of fallen trees. Bank-nesting jacamars can sometimes be loosely colonial.

Three-toed Jacamar Jacamaralcyon tridactyla

Clutch sizes are between one and four eggs, and usually more than one. Both parents participate in incubation. Little is known about the incubation times of most species, but it lasts for between 19 & 26 days in the Rufous-tailed Jacamar. Chicks are born with down feathers, unlike their relatives, the piciformes.