18 February 2026 from my Road Scholar birding trip to Costa Rica in January 2026
Though there are about 118 species of kingfishers worldwide, most of them are native to Africa and Asia. There are only six kingfisher species in the western hemisphere and we saw all of them on a single day at Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica, 23 January 2026. Here’s who’s in the Kingfisher Sweep.
Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata
Largest of the six, ringed kingfishers range from southern Texas to South America. They are solitary except during the breeding season when they nest in holes in river banks like their close relatives the belted kingfisher. Size: male 254–330g, female 274–325g.
Though ringed kingfishers are very large, they sometimes catch a fish too big to eat.
Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
Second largest on the list and familiar throughout North America, the belted kingfisher winters as far south the Caribbean coast of South America. He’s the sixth species, but only in winter. Size: 140-170 g
Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona
Third largest on the list, the Amazon kingfisher is “a resident of lakeshores and large-slow flowing rivers from northern Mexico south to central Argentina,” according to Birds of the World. Size: male 98–121 g, female 125–140 g
We saw an Amazon kingfisher beating and eating a very large fish.
American Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea
American pygmy kingfishers are tiny! Except for their huge beaks they are half the size of a house sparrow. Size: male 10–16g, female 12–16g (House sparrow is 27-29g)
To give you an idea of his size, here’s my cellphone photo of one perched on a small branch above the water. Can’t find him? Click on the image to see a circle around him.
Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana
Ranging from southern Texas to South America the green kingfisher weighs less than a northern cardinal. Size: 35–40g
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher Chloroceryle inda
Not large, but fourth largest on the list, “the green-and-rufous kingfisher is found around streams and rivers, from southeast Nicaragua south through the rest of Central America and across much of the northern two-thirds of South America, south as far as eastern Paraguay.” — Birds of the World Size: male 40–60g, female 53–62g
Because they live in sun-splashed shade green-and-rufous kingfishers can be difficult to see and photograph.
