Moustached Puffbird
Malacoptila mystacalis
This plump brown bird is found in the Andes in Venezuela and Colombia, from the lower foothills up to 2,100 m. Females are darker than males, with a less prominent white mustache. Not many similar species in range; beware White-whiskered Puffbird, which is typically found at lower elevations and shows yellowish (not gray) lower mandible and more streaking on belly. Typically inconspicuous in the lower to middle levels of wet forest, where singles or pairs often sit motionless on a horizontal limb.
Identification
The moustached puffbird is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 47 to 50 g (1.7 to 1.8 oz). Unlike most puffbirds, the male and female have different plumages. Both sexes have bristles around the base of the large bill, and white "whiskers", which are actually tufts of feathers. The adult male is drab brown above with white to buffy spots on the back and the wing coverts. Its tail is brown with small buffy markings. Its lores and a half ring behind the eye are white. The chin, throat, and breast are rufous with indistinct darker streaks on the last. The belly is white and the flanks dull brown with whitish bars and streaks. The bill is black, the eye red, and the feet silvery bluish. The adult female is grayer above with heavier buff markings and has a paler breast with heavier streaks. Immatures are darker with less obvious light markings and is less rufous on the breast.
Taxonomy
The moustached puffbird is monotypic, though the population in southwestern Colombia might merit treatment as a subspecies. It is thought to form a superspecies with the white-whiskered puffbird (M. panamensis) and black-streaked puffbird (M. fulvogularis).
- Scientific name
- Malacoptila mystacalis
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1850)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Bucconidae
- Genus
- Malacoptila
Range and habitat
The moustached puffbird is found in the Andes, in northern and northwestern Venezuela through Colombia and slightly into northern Ecuador. It is primarily a bird of the undergrowth of humid and wet forests, though it also occurs along the edges of forest and in open woodland. It usually stays within 6 m (20 ft) of the ground. In elevation it ranges from 350 to 2,100 m (1,100 to 6,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
No information has been published about the moustached puffbird's feeding behavior or diet.<p>The moustached puffbird appears to breed between May and August in Venezuela and February to September in Colombia. It nests in a hole excavated in an earth bank, but no other details of its breeding phenology are known.<p>The moustached puffbird's song is a "[h]igh thin peeping" like that of other puffbirds in its genus.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Usambara Akalat
Sheppardia montana
A rather small, demure understory denizen resembling a cross between a robin and a flycatcher. Mostly dull brownish-olive with a rusty rump and tail, a paler throat, and a distinctive pale patch between the eye and bill. In display, may reveal a rufous spot near the eye. Juvenile is more mottled. A local and endangered bird found singly and in pairs in thick undergrowth of primary and secondary montane forest in a narrow range along the West Usambara mountains between 1600 and 2300 meters of elevation. Sits for long periods, sallying to catch insect prey, or forages on the ground, often in the company of ants and other ant-following birds. Sings a medley of up-and-down high-pitched whistles that is sweet without being tuneful. Alarm call is a grating “drrrzzt, drrrt, drrrt.” May be mistaken for a flycatcher, but its furtive nature and preference for thick understory are unique within its range.
Henst's Goshawk
Astur henstii
A big, powerful goshawk. Adults are gray on the back with fine gray barring below; females much larger. Immatures have a brown back and thick streaks below. Endemic to Madagascar, where it is a scarce resident of all types of primary forest. Rarely sits in the open, and only occasionally soars. Territorial call is a loud repeated “khew” which is often given in flight. Males can be very hard to separate from similarly-sized female Madagascar Sparrowhawk. On Henst’s, look for fine bars on the undertail, a completely barred throat, and a central toe of normal length. Immatures may only be separable based on toe length. Also very similar to the rare Madagascar Serpent-Eagle. Subtle differences include slightly smaller size, evenly-spaced barring on the chest, thicker black bands on the tail, and an unbarred back.
Azores Chaffinch
Fringilla moreletti
Dapper little finch endemic to the Azores, where it inhabits a range of habitats, from forests to farmlands. Handsome, brightly colored male has a blue-grayish cowl, pale orangish face and breast, and a black-and-white wing pattern (colors muted in winter). Female much drabber but shares male pattern; especially note the complex wing pattern. Both sexes have white outer tail feathers, often striking in flight such as when flushed. Song is a distinctive burbling, descending trill; calls include a squeaky “bi’dee” and lower yapping notes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.