Birds of the World: Bucconidae

Showing posts with label Bucconidae. Show all posts

Friday, 30 January 2015

Greater pied puffbird

Notharchus tectus

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
greater pied puffbird (en); macuru-pintado (pt); tamatia pie (fr); buco pío (es); elsterfaulvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galbuliformes
Family Bucconidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Colombia, south to central Peru, and east to the Guyanas and into Brazil as far as Mato Grosso and Maranhão.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and weigh 20-40 g.

Habitat:
The greater pied puffbird is mostly found in moist tropical forests, including forest edges and clearings, but also use mangroves, dry tropical forests, second growths, moist scrublands, dry savannas, rivers and streams, pastures and plantations. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They hunt large arthropods, such as dragonflies, grasshoppers, bugs, butterflies and moths, and spiders.

Breeding:
Greater pied puffbirds breed in March-December, varying among different parts of their range. They nest is a deep tunnel excavated in an arboreal termite nest or in an earth bank, with an unlined nest chamber at the end. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common but patchily distributed. The greater pied puffbird is suspected to lose 18-23% of suitable habitat within its range over the next decade based on a model of Amazonian deforestation. It is therefore suspected to suffer a small decline in the near future.

Friday, 18 July 2014

Moustached puffbird

Malacoptila mystacalis

Photo by Julian Londono (Wikipedia)

Common name:
moustached puffbird (en); barbudo-de-bigodes (pt); tamatia à moustaches (fr); buco bigotudo (es); schnurrbart-faulvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galbuliformes
Family Bucconidae

Range:
This species is patchily distributed along the mountain ranges of western Colombia and northern Venezuela.

Size:
These birds are 20-23 cm long and weigh 47-50 g.

Habitat:
The moustached puffbird is mostly found in the undergrowth of moist tropical forests, also using dry tropical forests and second growths. they are present at altitudes of 350-2.100 m.

Diet:
They possibly feed on large insects and small vertebrates.

Breeding:
Moustached puffbirds breed in February-September. They nest is holes excavated into earth banks. There is no further information regarding the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large but fragmented breeding range. Although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is described as uncommon to fairly uncommon, but the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Black nunbird

Monasa atra

Photo by Bruno Salaroli (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
black nunbird (en); chora-chuva-de-asa-branca (pt); barbacou noir (fr); monja negra (es); mohrentrappist (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galbuliformes
Family Bucconidae

Range:
This species is found in western and southern Venezuela, through the Guyanas and into northern Brazil, only north of the Amazon river.

Size:
These birds are 25-29 cm long and weigh 85-95 g.

Habitat:
The black nunbird is mostly found in moist tropical forests and swamp forests, but also in moist scrublands, second growths and plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They mostly feed on insects and spiders, but also take small lizards.

Breeding:
Not much is known about the breeding behaviour of the black nunbird. They nest in a hole in the ground, where the female lays 2-3 shiny white eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods, but they possibly breed twice per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. Based on current models of Amazonian deforestation this species is likely to suffer considerable habitat loss in the near future, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Monday, 17 December 2012

White-eared puffbird

Nystalus chacuru

Photo by Mario Martins (Flickr)

Common name:
white-eared puffbird (en); joão-bobo (pt); tamatia chacuru (fr); chacurú cara negra (es); weißohr-faulvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Galbuliformes
Family Bucconidae

Range:
This South American species is found is central and southern Brazil, in Bolivia, in eastern Paraguay and marginally into northern Argentina.

Size:
They are 18-20 cm long and weigh 60-65 g.

Habitat:
The white-eared puffbird is mostly found in dry forests and woodlands, namely in cerrado habitats, but also in moist forests, dry scrublands, plantations, pastures, arable land and even within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m.

Diet:
These birds hunt insects and other arthropods, namely beetles, spiders, millipedes, centipedes and scorpions, and also small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs and small mammals.

Breeding:
White-eared puffbirds nest in a deep hole excavated by both sexes into a natural sand wall or road bank, or sometimes on levelled ground. There the female lays 2-4 glossy white eggs, which are incubated for about 15 days. There is no information regarding the length of the fledging period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common.
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Swallow-tailed puffbird

Chelidoptera tenebrosa

Photo by Tomas Grim (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

swallow-tailed puffbird (en); urubuzinho (pt); barbacou à croupion blanc (fr); buco golondrina (es); schwalbenfaulvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galbuliformes

Family Bucconidae

Range:

This South American species is found in most of Brazil and throughout the Amazon basin stretching into Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guyanas, Suriname, Peru and Venezuela.

Size:

These birds are 14-16 cm long and weigh 40-50 g.

Habitat:

Swallow-tailed puffbirds are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, but also occur in swamp forests, heavily degraded former forests, dry and moist savannas and scrublands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.750 m.

Diet:

These birds are insectivorous, catching slow flying insects, like winged ants, on the wing.

Breeding:

Swallow-tailed puffbirds mostly breed in July-March. They excavate a deep tunnel, up to 1,5 m long, in sandy soil. At the bottom of this tunnels lies the incubation chamber which is lined with dry grasses and leaves. There the female lays 1-2 shiny white eggs which are incubated for 14-15 days. The chicks fledge 15 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and, although he global population size has not been quantified, the swallow-winged puffbird is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat. It is reported to be abundant along the Trans-Amazonian Highway.

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

White-whiskered puffbird

Malacoptila panamensis

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:

white-whiskered puffbird (en); barbudo-de-loro-branco (pt); tamatia de Lafresnaye (fr); buco barbón (es); weißzügel-faulvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galbuliformes

Family Bucconidae

Range:

The white-whiskered puffbird is found from southern Mexico down to Colombia and western Ecuador.

Size:

These birds are 17-19 cm long and weigh 40-45 g.

Habitat:

This species occurs in the lower strata of primary and secondary humid forest and adjacent shady pastures.

Diet:

White-whiskered puffbirds mostly hunt large insects, like locusts and moths, spiders, frogs, small lizzards and snakes, including poisonous coral snakes.

Breeding:

These birds breed in March-July. They nest in burrows, which are excavated in slightly sloping ground and lines with dead leaves. The entrance hole is camouflaged with twigs and leaves. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 15 days. The chicks are fed and brooded by both parents and fledge 20 days after hatching. Each pair produces a single clutch per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.