| Puffbirds and allies | |
|---|---|
| White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Bucconidae Horsfield, 1821 |
| Genera | |
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Notharchus |
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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 hooked tip. The loose abundant plumage and short tails makes them look stout and puffy, giving rise to the English name of the family. They feed on insects and small vertebrates caught by a watch and wait technique. The species range in size from the Rufous-capped Nunlet, at 13 cm (5.1 in) and 14 grams (0.5 oz), to the White-necked Puffbird, at up to 29 cm (11.5 in) and 106 grams (3.7 oz).[1]
Like most of their relatives, this group are hole nesters, laying 2–3 glossy white eggs in a hole in the ground or a termite mound.
Contents |
FAMILY: BUCCONIDAE
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