Glossy birds

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Glossy birds
Red-tailed Jakamar (G. ruficauda)

Red-tailed Jakamar ( G. ruficauda )

Systematics
Sub-stem : Vertebrates (vertebrata)
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Woodpecker birds (Piciformes)
Subordination : Gloss avian (Galbuloidea)
Family : Glossy birds
Scientific name
Galbulidae
Vigors , 1825

The glossy birds (Galbulidae) are a family of woodpecker birds with 18 species in five genera .

features

Glossy birds are compact and have a kingfisher-like head with a straight, very long beak. They are reminiscent of a large hummingbird . In most species the tail feathers are arranged like a fan, but in some they are also placed one above the other, with the two central feathers protruding over the outer ones. The second and third toes of their little feet are partially fused together, they serve as digging tools when building the nesting hole. The plumage is golden green and shiny emerald green, the wing feathers are dark and the breast and belly are colored from pink to reddish brown. The featherless ring around the eyes (which is also present in the lazy birds ) has a narrow connection to the beak. In a sitting position, the birds push their chest far forward and lift their head slightly. The first feathers on the forehead are high and not lying close, there is a small beard on the throat. The body length is 15 to 30 cm, their weight 15 to 25 grams.

Way of life

All glossy birds are solitary and live on the edge of the forest, they only come together in the breeding season. They often sunbathe for hours on the top branches of a tree. Her singing consists of a loud tone that is repeated several times in a row, it is described as eerie and sad.

The birds look out for insects such as butterflies , bees and winged (male) ants at the edge of water and then drop from the control room and catch the prey in the air. Some species have specialized in the butterflies of the genus Morpho . The hard wings of the prey are removed by hitting a branch. The ground under the observation post is often littered with butterfly wings.

The nesting hole is dug in embankments or the structures of termites . A longer tube leads from the entrance directly to the breeding chamber, in which the female lays two to four eggs. These are incubated for about three weeks. At night the male looks for a place to sleep, while the female stays in the chamber. The young have a down dress when they hatch, they leave the nest after about 25 days. As young birds, they make trilling sounds.

distribution and habitat

Glossy birds are an all-American family . They come from northeast Argentina via Uruguay , Paraguay , Bolivia , western Brazil , Ecuador , Venezuela , Guayana (etc.) and Central America to Mexico . They inhabit forest edges, mountains and even savannahs . They avoid dense rainforest , grass steppes and high mountains.

Systematics

Jacamars have the septic birds some common features with the beard birds , honey indicators and woodpeckers few. That is why they form their own suborder with the lazy birds, the glossy birds .

This family includes:

literature

  • Dr. Theo Jahn: Brehm's new animal encyclopedia birds 3 . Verlag Herder KG, Freiburg im Breisgau Special edition for Prisma Verlag GmbH, Gütersloh 1982, ISBN 3-570-08606-2 .
  • David Burnie: Animals the Great Picture Encyclopedia . Dorling Kindersley Verlag GmbH, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-8310-0202-9 .
  • Joseph Forshaw: Encyclopedia of Birds . Weltbild Verlag GmbH, Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-8289-1557-4 .

Web links

Commons : Galbulidae  - album with pictures, videos and audio files