White-chested Puffbird

Overview

The white-chested puffbird (Malacoptila fusca) is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, native to the tropical forests of northern and western South America. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its large range and stable population.

Identification

• Approximately 18 cm long and weighing around 44 g, with a dark brown head, upperparts, and wing coverts that appear streaked due to pale feather shafts.
• Distinctive whitish 'whisker' and chin, along with a thin white crescent across the upper breast, contrasting with dirty white or buff underparts marked with brown streaks.
• Yellow-orange bill with a black tip, reddish-brown to red eyes, and yellow-olive legs and feet.
• Song is described as a long, descending musical trill, while calls include a high, mewing whistle.

Habitat

Found in two large disjunct areas spanning from eastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela south through Ecuador and Peru, and in the lower Amazon Basin from the Guianas into Brazil. It inhabits the understory of tropical evergreen forest, including both terra firme and várzea types, typically in lowland areas up to 1,500 m elevation.

Diet

The white-chested puffbird forages from a perch several meters above the ground, remaining motionless before sallying to capture prey on the ground or in vegetation, after which it moves to a different perch. It occasionally follows army ant swarms and likely feeds mostly on insects and small invertebrates, though its diet has not been described in detail.

Did you know?

Essentially nothing is known about the species' breeding phenology, but it is thought to nest in a burrow in the ground, similar to its close relative the white-whiskered puffbird.