Chestnut-capped Puffbird
Bucco macrodactylus
Overview
The chestnut-capped puffbird (Bucco macrodactylus) is a small bird species within the family Bucconidae. It inhabits the upper Amazon Basin across several South American countries and is classified by the IUCN as being of Least Concern.
Identification
- Measures 14 to 16.5 cm in length and weighs approximately 25 g.
- Distinctive plumage features a chestnut crown, bright reddish-orange nape, and brown upperparts with light bars.
- Face has a thin white supercilium, black cheeks and lower throat separated by a white line, and a reddish-white chin with feathers curling over the bill base.
- Underparts are buffy with fine dusky barring, except on the lower belly, accompanied by a black bill and red to brown eyes.
Habitat
Found in the upper Amazon Basin of southern Venezuela, eastern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil. It inhabits various forest types, including terra firme, várzea, and secondary forests, often near water but also in scrubby forest away from it. Typically found in the undergrowth, understory, and subcanopy layers, usually below 660 m elevation but occasionally recorded higher.
Diet
Forages by making short sallies from a perch to pluck insects from vegetation. It has also been reported to take small vertebrates.
Did you know?
Almost nothing is known about its breeding phenology, but one observed nest was a cavity located about 2.5 m up in a termitarium.