Western Striolated Puffbird
Nystalus obamai
Overview
The western striolated puffbird (Nystalus obamai) is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It was split from the original striolated puffbird (Nystalus striolatus), with the specific epithet honoring former U.S. president Barack Obama.
Identification
- Length of 19.8 to 21 cm and weight of 43 to 47 g.
- Dark brown crown with rufous spots and bars, hindneck with a broad buffy collar.
- Face has a white spot in front of the eye; rest of face is buffy with fine dusky streaks.
- Bill is mostly yellow-olive, eye pale ochre, legs brown, and feet dusky yellow-olive.
- Song is a soft, sad whistle, whip, whi-wheeu, wheeeeeuu, with a distinctive cadence.
Habitat
Found in the western Amazon Basin, from southern Colombia south through central Ecuador and central and eastern Peru into central Bolivia and east into Brazil south of the Amazon River to the Madeira River. It inhabits a variety of landscapes including the edges of humid tropical, terra firme, and swamp forests, and also transitional forest. The species tends to stay in the subcanopy or canopy and is not known to migrate.
Diet
Hunts by sallying from a perch in the canopy or subcanopy. Prey consists of large arthropods or small vertebrates such as lizards, which are taken to the perch and beaten against it.
Did you know?
The specific epithet of the western striolated puffbird honors former U.S. president Barack Obama, making it one of the few birds named after a head of state.