Guianan Puffbird
Notharchus macrorhynchos
Chunky, large-billed bird of rainforest canopy; easily identified by black-and-white plumage, relatively large size, and staid demeanor. Most often seen perched high in bare branches, sometimes near arboreal termite nests, in which it digs its own nest cavities. May also forage at lower levels. Sits motionless for long periods, sallying to vegetation for large insects. Superficially resembles Pied Puffbird but is much larger with a solid black crown and more white on the forehead.
Identification
The Guianan puffbird is about 25 cm (9.8 in) long and weighs 81 to 106 g (2.9 to 3.7 oz). It is mostly glossy blue-black. It has a white forehead, throat, upper breast, and center of the belly. A broad black band separates the last two. The white of the throat extends as a narrow line around the nape. The flanks are barred black and white and the tail is black with narrow white tips to the feathers. The eye color varies from straw to red. The large bill and feet are black.<p>The song is "a series of whistles...'ui-ui-ui... wi-di-dik wi-di-dik wi-di-dik...'". It also makes "a clear nasal falling 'düür'" call.
Taxonomy
The Guianan puffbird was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it in the genus Bucco and coined the binomial name Bucco macrorhynchos. Gmelin based his description on the Tamatias noirs et blancs or Barbu à gros bec, de Cayenne that had been described and illustrated in 1780 by the French polymath the Comte de Buffon. Buffon's specimen had been sent to Paris from Cayenne by Monsieur Duval. The Guianan puffbird is now placed in the genus Notharchus that was introduced in 1863 by the German ornithologists Jean Cabanis and Ferdinand Heine. The generic name combines the Ancient Greek nōthēs meaning "sluggish" and arkhos meaning "leader" or "chief". The specific epithet macrorhynchos is from Ancient Greek makrorrhunkhos and means "long-billed".<p>The white-necked puffbird (Notharchus hyperrhynchus) and the buff-bellied puffbird (Notharchus swainsoni) were formerly considered as subspecies. In 2002 Pamela Rasmussen and Nigel Collar, in their chapter in the Handbook of the Birds of the World, promoted swainsoni to species status and suggested that hyperrhynchus might also be a separate species. In 2004 the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithologists' Union split macrorhynchos into three species. The English name "white-necked puffbird" was transferred to Notharchus hyperrhynchus and a new name "Guianan puffbird" given to the nominate subspecies Notharchus macrorhynchos. These changes have been adopted by other taxonomists. The Guianan puffbird is now considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Notharchus macrorhynchos
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Bucconidae
- Genus
- Notharchus
Range and habitat
The Guianan puffbird is found in extreme eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, and northeastern Brazil north of the Amazon River. It inhabits primary tropical evergreen forest, semi-evergreen forest, and terra firme forest. It occurs at all levels from the ground to the canopy.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Large and spectacular pheasant found in forested areas. Variable across its large range, but the long-tailed male has either white or silvery-gray upperparts with a black crest, breast, and belly. Northern males are whiter above than their southern counterparts, though they still have some light black markings on the wings and back. Females are brownish overall with a much shorter tail. Both sexes have bright red face and legs. Hybridizes extensively with Kalij Pheasant where ranges overlap, producing variable intermediate hybrids.
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Phylloscopus whistleri
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Sumatran Whistling-Thrush
Myophonus castaneus
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