The white-chinned jacamar is 19 to 23.5 cm (7.5 to 9.3 in) long and weighs 21.5 to 25 g (0.76 to 0.88 oz). The nominate male's crown is ash brown and the rest of the upper parts are a dark metallic bronzy green. It has a small white chin spot, a glittery green throat and chest, and a reddish chestnut belly and vent area. The female's belly is paler and ochraceous. G. t. mentalis has a larger white chin spot and the upper parts are a coppery bronze.[4]
The white-chinned jacamar inhabits shrubby borders and openings in terra firme, várzea, and gallery forest. In lower elevations it is often found along watercourses. In elevation it ranges up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[4]
Behavior
Feeding
Though the white-chinned jacamar's diet is assumed to include a variety of insects, only Hymenoptera have been recorded. It perches by itself or in pairs on exposed branches from which it sallies to catch its flying prey.[4]
Breeding
"No reliable information" is available about the white-chinned jacamar's breeding phenology.[4]
Vocalization
The white-chinned jacamar's song is "an accelerating and rising series of “pee-pee-pee-pee-pe-pe-pe-pe’pe’pe’pe’e’e' notes" ending with a trill [1]. Its call is "keelip" or "peeup", often given in a series [2].[4]
Status
The IUCN has assessed the white-chinned jacamar as being of Least Concern.[1] Though it is widespread and occurs in several protected areas, it is rare to uncommon in most areas and "deforestation doubtless continues to reduce population size."[4]
^Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 19 January 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved January 19, 2021
^ abcdefgTobias, J., T. Züchner, T.A. de Melo Júnior, G. M. Kirwan, and A. Bonan (2020). White-chinned Jacamar (Galbula tombacea), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whcjac1.01 retrieved May 10, 2021