White-whiskered Puffbird
Encyclopedia
The White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis) is a bird
which is a resident breeding species from southeastern Mexico
to central Ecuador
. It is sometimes known as White-whiskered Softwing.
This puffbird
is found in forests, shady plantation
s, especially of Theobroma cacao, and old second growth in lowlands and foothills up to 1200m. It nests in a 15-55 cm long, 6 cm diameter burrow in, usually, gently sloping ground. The wider nesting chamber is lined with dried leaves. The female lays 2, rarely 3, glossy white eggs; both sexes incubate the eggs and feed the young.
The White-whiskered Puffbird is a stout, large-headed, 18 cm long bird which weighs 42 g on average. It has bristles around the base of the large bill, and white “whiskers”, actually tufts of feathers. The adult male has pale brown upperparts and tail, with fine cinnamon spotting on the wings and crown. The underparts are cinnamon-buff, streaked darker, and becoming paler moving down the body to the almost white vent area. The female has a greyer brown back and darker streaks on the paler underparts, giving her a more contrasted appearance than the male.
Young birds are like the female but have barring on the upperparts and narrower streaks on the underparts.
The White-whiskered Puffbird has a thin whistled tseeeeeeeep call.
Like other puffbirds, this species hunts by a watch-and-wait technique, sitting motionless before darting to catch large insect
s, spider
s, small frog
s or lizard
s. These are taken back to the perch and beaten against it prior to consumption. Despite its size, this species is easily overlooked as it sits motionless in the foliage.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
which is a resident breeding species from southeastern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to central Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. It is sometimes known as White-whiskered Softwing.
This puffbird
Puffbird
The puffbirds and their relatives in the near passerine family Bucconidae are tropical birds breeding from South America up to Mexico.They are related to the jacamars, but lack the iridescent colours of that family. They are mainly brown, rufous or grey, with large heads and flattened bills with a...
is found in forests, shady plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s, especially of Theobroma cacao, and old second growth in lowlands and foothills up to 1200m. It nests in a 15-55 cm long, 6 cm diameter burrow in, usually, gently sloping ground. The wider nesting chamber is lined with dried leaves. The female lays 2, rarely 3, glossy white eggs; both sexes incubate the eggs and feed the young.
The White-whiskered Puffbird is a stout, large-headed, 18 cm long bird which weighs 42 g on average. It has bristles around the base of the large bill, and white “whiskers”, actually tufts of feathers. The adult male has pale brown upperparts and tail, with fine cinnamon spotting on the wings and crown. The underparts are cinnamon-buff, streaked darker, and becoming paler moving down the body to the almost white vent area. The female has a greyer brown back and darker streaks on the paler underparts, giving her a more contrasted appearance than the male.
Young birds are like the female but have barring on the upperparts and narrower streaks on the underparts.
The White-whiskered Puffbird has a thin whistled tseeeeeeeep call.
Like other puffbirds, this species hunts by a watch-and-wait technique, sitting motionless before darting to catch large insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, small frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s or lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s. These are taken back to the perch and beaten against it prior to consumption. Despite its size, this species is easily overlooked as it sits motionless in the foliage.
External links
- White-whiskered Puffbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- White-whiskered Puffbird photo gallery VIREO