puffbird

Puffbirds and allies
Black-fronted Nunbird (Monasa nigrifrons)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Piciformes Family: Bucconidae Horsfield, 1821
Genera
Notharchus Bucco Nystalus Hypnelus Micromonacha Nonnula Hapaloptila Chelidoptera Malacoptila Monasa

The puffbirds and their relatives in the near passerine bird family Bucconidae are tropical near passerine birds breeding from South America up to Mexico.

They are related to the jacamars, but lack the iridescent colours of that family. They are mainly brown, rufous or grey, with large heads and flattened bills with a hooked tip. The loose abundant plumage and short tails makes them look stout and puffy, giving rise to the English name of the family. They feed on insects and small vertebrates caught by a watch and wait technique.

Like most of their relatives, this group are hole nesters, laying 2-3 glossy white eggs in a hole in the ground or a termite mound.

species

• Genus Notharchus
  • White-necked Puffbird, Notharchus macrorhynchos
  • Black-breasted Puffbird, Notharchus pectoralis
  • Brown-banded Puffbird, Notharchus ordii
  • Pied Puffbird, Notharchus tectus
  • Buff-bellied Puffbird, Notharchus sawinsoni
• Genus Bucco
  • Chestnut-capped Puffbird, Bucco macrodactylus
  • Spotted Puffbird, Bucco tamatia
  • Sooty-capped Puffbird, Bucco noanamae
  • Collared Puffbird, Bucco capensis
• Genus Nystalus
  • Barred Puffbird, Nystalus radiatus
  • White-eared Puffbird, Nystalus chacuru
  • Striolated Puffbird, Nystalus striolatus
  • Spot-backed Puffbird, Nystalus maculatus
• Genus Hypnelus
  • Russet-throated Puffbird, Hypnelus ruficollis
• Genus Malacoptila
  • White-chested Puffbird, Malacoptila fusca
  • Semicollared Puffbird, Malacoptila semicincta
  • Crescent-chested Puffbird, Malacoptila striata
  • Black-streaked Puffbird, Malacoptila fulvogularis
  • Rufous-necked Puffbird, Malacoptila rufa
  • White-whiskered Puffbird, Malacoptila panamensis
  • Moustached Puffbird, Malacoptila mystacalis
• Genus Micromonacha
  • Lanceolated Monklet, Micromonacha lanceolata
• Genus Nonnula , the nunlets
  • Fulvous-chinned Nunlet, Nonnula sclateri
  • Rusty-breasted Nunlet, Nonnula rubecula
  • Brown Nunlet, Nonnula brunnea
  • Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Nonnula frontalis
  • Rufous-capped Nunlet, Nonnula ruficapilla
  • Chestnut-headed Nunlet, Nonnula amaurocephala
• Genus Hapaloptila
  • White-faced Nunbird, Hapaloptila castanea
• Genus Monasa , the nunbirds
  • Black Nunbird, Monasa atra
  • Black-fronted Nunbird, Monasa nigrifrons
  • White-fronted Nunbird, Monasa morphoeus
  • Yellow-billed Nunbird, Monasa flavirostris
• Genus Chelidoptera
  • Swallow-wing, Chelidoptera tenebrosa

References

• Hilty, Birds of Venezuela, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
• Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4

External links

• Puffbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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