Blast from the past. Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

Looking through some old photos today I came across this sequence of photos Elis took of a couple of Rufous-tailed Jacamars in Brazil.

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

These birds seem to fill a niche similar to that of bee-eaters which of course they resemble. They inhabit similar habitats but can be found in more forested areas than their old world counterparts. The male sports a white throat while the female's is rufous.

Male showing off to female.

This female caught a fly and sat for ages holding it in her beak before finally swallowing it.

Going...

going...

Gone!

It was always a joy to see these birds. They were pretty rare along the coast although we did see them in Ubatuba, but the nearest place to be sure of a sighting was Perequê where the famous Black-hooded Antwrens could be found, the Jacamars were always along the track deep into the woodland where these pictures were taken.

Always a sight for sore eyes.

I saw my first ever Rufous-tailed Jacamar on a barbed wire fence in Matozinhos in Minas Gerias when Elis and I were visiting her mother. They make quite an impression when you first see one, I seem to remember punching the air (whilst no-one was looking of course!)