The Green-tailed Jacamar is a forest bird that catches flying insects with its long, slender bill.
Males have metallic green heads, upperparts, breast bands and tails, with a white throat and a rufous-chestnut belly. Females have a buff throat and slightly duller plumage. The long, slender bill is black.
It waits on a perch and catches flying insects. It occurs alone or in pairs in lowland forest near water, secondary forest, and forest edges.
It eats flying insects including wasps, butterflies, flies, beetles and dragonflies.
It excavates a tunnel in a low bank or an arboreal termite nest, using the chamber inside as its nest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.