Rufous-capped Nunlet

Overview

The rufous-capped nunlet (Nonnula ruficapilla) is a near-passerine bird in the family Bucconidae. It is a small species found in South America, specifically in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, where it is assessed as Least Concern.

Identification

• Length approximately 14 cm with a weight between 14 and 22 g.
• Nominate subspecies features a large rich chestnut crown, cold gray face and nape, and reddish orange chin and breast.
• Bill is mostly silvery blue with a brown eye surrounded by a bare reddish ring.
• Song consists of a long series of 13–30 sharp, clear, short, upward-inflected whistles described as 'fwick!-fwick!'.

Habitat

Inhabits the undergrowth and subcanopy of various landscapes, including terra firme, secondary, and transitional forest, as well as forests along rivers and streams and igapó. It is most often associated with bamboo, particularly thickets along river edges, and is found along streams in hilly forested country. Its range covers northeastern Peru, eastern Peru and western Brazil south of the Amazon River, the Tocantins River in eastern Pará, and northern Bolivia and parts of Brazil's Mato Grosso and western Pará states.

Diet

Insect remains have been found in the stomachs of specimens, but no other information about its specific diet or foraging behaviour has been published.

Did you know?

The song of this bird is described as a 'long series' of 'fwick!-fwick!' whistles that are slightly softer and lower in pitch near the beginning and end.