What does the Rufous-tailed Jacamar eat?

The Rufous-tailed Jacamar's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Strictly insectivorous, primarily preying on flying insects such as butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bees, wasps, and flies. It also takes spiders occasionally.

How it forages

Aerial insectivore. It typically perches motionlessly on an exposed branch, often for extended periods, then sallying out to catch an insect in mid-air with an audible snap of its bill. It returns to the same or a nearby perch to consume the prey, often beating larger insects against the branch. Sometimes they will glean insects from foliage.

When it feeds

Diurnal, most active during the cooler parts of the day, particularly mornings and late afternoons.

Explore the Rufous-tailed Jacamar