[njlarsen]

Discussion thread for American Pygmy Kingfisher. If you would like to add a comment, click the Post Reply button.

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I have a couple of different books describing this species, and they disagree on whether it is the male or the female that has the breast band. Does anyone know what is the real truth?

thanks
Niels

[Dave B Smith]

I'll double check my books but from memory it is the female that has the green breast band.

Did check wikipedia which also said female has green breast band and then
Arthur Grosset's site which also shows the female with the green breast band.

[njlarsen]

Originally Posted by Dave B Smith

I'll double check my books but from memory it is the female that has the green breast band.

Did check wikipedia which also said female has green breast band and then
Arthur Grosset's site which also shows the female with the green breast band.

But the Birds of Northern South America (Restall) states that it is the male that has the breast band, if my memory serves me right ...

Niels

[Rasmus Boegh]

Originally Posted by njlarsen

But the Birds of Northern South America (Restall) states that it is the male that has the breast band, if my memory serves me right ...

... and Restall et al. are aware of the mistaken switch they made this case. Should be male = no chest-band; female = green chest-band.

[njlarsen]

Thanks Rasmus.
Is there a website with corrections that I should be aware of?

thanks
Niels

[UTCbirder]

Greetings NJL:

well i dont know that i can add much to the discussion, just to say they are indeed cute lil' buggers!

my lifer APK came this november in costa rica, whilst cruising the tarcoles river on the first afternoon of our trip.

we were well in the middle of the wide channel of the main rivercourse, crusising at a fairly decent clip, when the gent powered back and began to ease over to the bank. how he spotted the critter i'll never know, as they are indeed 'pygmy' sized. the photo linked to in opus reminds me very much of our observation, where the bird was perched in the open, just over the water. not all that skittish, the captain floated and manuveured the craft for 10 minutes or so, while shutters blazed away. the 'fisher eyed us closely, but never flinched.

quite a satisfying experience!

best to all,
UTC

[njlarsen]

Cheers UTC, nice story!

Niels

[Rasmus Boegh]

Originally Posted by njlarsen

Is there a website with corrections that I should be aware of?

Not to my knowledge, but other and I have corresponded with Restall on this and comparable issues.

[njlarsen]

Thanks for the answer

too bad the page doesn't exist.

Niels

[Dave B Smith]

Robin Restall also did the illustrations for the recent Field Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (Kenefick, Restall, & Hayes) and while he started with the plates from the Birds of Northern South America he did make some corrections (shows female Pygmy Kingfisher with her green breast band) and tailored some of the others to show local subspecies.