Since 2004 · Licensed by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT)

Great Jacamar (Jacamerops aureus)
Photo: Christoph Moning, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist
Great Jacamar

Family Galbulidae

Great Jacamar

Jacamerops aureus

In Spanish: Jacamar Grande

  • Resident

Rare metallic green jacamar of the Caribbean lowlands

Where to see itTrips that find it

The Great Jacamar is the largest jacamar, about 30 cm long, with metallic green upperparts and rufous underparts. In Costa Rica it lives on the Caribbean slope, and almost all records come from the lowlands.

It is rare to uncommon here and can be hard to spot, because it often perches in one place in the canopy for long periods. On a Caribbean lowlands trip it is a bird for patient watchers.

Where to see it

How to find it

Start in the Caribbean lowlands, where visitors have the best chance; it is unlikely to be met in the highlands. Listen for the whistled song, then scan thin branches and vines in the middle levels and subcanopy. It likes exposed branches high in the forest, so be patient and watch for it darting out after passing insects.

How to recognise it

This is the largest jacamar, about 30 cm long, with a thick, slightly curved black bill. The upperparts are metallic green and the underparts are rufous. The male has a narrow white band across the throat. The female looks much the same but has no white throat patch; one female photographed in Limón had a pale rufous throat, while males have a pure white throat. Its bill is thicker, shorter and curves slightly downward, and the bird looks larger and sturdier than the Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

What it sounds like

0:22

Recording: Steve Collins, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

It hunts insects by flying out from a perch to catch them, then beats the prey against a branch before eating it. It is quieter and slower moving than other jacamars. After a sally it usually does not go back to the same perch, and it rarely joins mixed flocks. Look for single birds or pairs on thin branches or vines. In Costa Rica it has also been recorded eating spiders and lizards.

Where it lives

It lives in tropical forest up to about 500 m elevation. It uses the middle levels of the canopy and shaded forest edges, usually near streams. In Costa Rica it is found on the Caribbean slope, rare to uncommon in the lowlands and foothills, and its range reaches north to the San Carlos plain and the Tortuguero plain. There is only one verified sighting outside that range, at Monteverde, around 800 m, in 2013.

When to see it

Nesting has been recorded in Costa Rica from March to June. Nests are dug into tree termite nests roughly 3 to 15 m above the ground.

Similar birds

Only two jacamars live in Costa Rica. The other, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar, is much smaller, slim and long-tailed, with a long, thin, pointed bill. The Great Jacamar's bill is heavy and slightly curved.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

The AOCR Spanish name is Jacamar Grande; jacamará grande is also used, and some sources say simply jacamará. The word jacamar comes from the Tupi-Guarani language.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list marks it as a resident (R), and it has a very large range, though its population seems to be falling.

Photography tips

Look for an exposed branch high in the forest, where it waits and watches for prey. Patience matters, since it often perches in one place for long periods. Because it rarely returns to the same perch after a sally, be ready to scan nearby branches.

Trips that find it

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How we know this 13 sources, each read on the date shown
  1. Birds of the World (Cornell) read 2026-11-04https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/grejac2/cur/introduction
  2. Birds Colombia (Spanish, citing Wikipedia text) read 2026-11-04https://birdscolombia.com/2020/06/05/gran-jacamar-great-jacamar-jacamerops-aureus/
  3. Wikipedia (Spanish) read 2026-11-04https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacamerops_aureus
  4. Planet of Birds read 2026-11-04https://planetofbirds.com/piciformes-galbulidae-great-jacamar-jacamerops-aureus/
  5. Wikipedia read 2026-11-04https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_jacamar
  6. Birds for Beer (reader comment) read 2026-11-04https://birdsforbeer.com/2022/04/30/great-jacamar-a-caribbean-rarity/
  7. Aves de Costa Rica read 2026-11-04http://www.avesdecostarica.com/Jacamerops-aureus.html
  8. Hotel Rivel (lodge site) read 2026-11-04https://hotelrivel.online/es/una-joya-en-la-selva-tropical-el-gran-jacamar/
  9. Encyclopedia.com read 2026-11-04https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/jacamars-galbulidae
  10. Birds of the World read 2026-11-04https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/grejac2/cur/introduction?lang=es
  11. Birding for Conservation read 2026-11-04https://www.birdingforconservation.com/2019/03/selva-bananito-lodge-home-of-the-great-jacamar/
  12. Costa Rica Outdoors & Waves read 2026-11-04https://www.costaricaoutdoorswaves.com/caribbean-lowlands
  13. Aves de Costa Rica read 2026-11-04https://avesdecostarica.com/Galbula-ruficauda.html