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
The Guianan puffbird hunts from an open perch by sallying, either catching its insect prey on the wing or plucking it from vegetation, and usually returning to the same perch. It beats its catch on the perch before eating it.<p>Both sexes excavate the nest cavity, usually in an arboreal termitarium or rotting tree. Most nests are about 12 to 15 m (39 to 49 ft) above the ground, but they have been reported as low as 3 m (9.8 ft) and as high as 18 m (59 ft). Holes in the ground and an earth bank have also been reported. The clutch size is not known.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Two-banded Warbler
Myiothlypis bivittata
Small, yellowish bird with a fine black bill and distinctive black stripes on head. Mostly green above and yellow below; has rufous or orange crown bordered by black, but crown color can be difficult to ascertain. Note olive eyebrow becoming yellow in front of eye, and bright pinkish-yellow legs. Inhabits dense understory of foothill forests along the eastern slope of the southern Andes and in the tepui region. Usually occurs in pairs or small family groups that forage actively for insects, often joining mixed-species flocks. Song in tepuis is a series of chips followed by a high-pitched, screeching note. In southern part of range, song is very different: a rich rollicking series of notes that may vaguely recall House Wren and is often given by pairs as a duet. In southern Andes, most similar to Golden-bellied Warbler but has olive (not entirely yellow) eyebrow; also similar to Golden-crowned Warbler but typically occurs at higher elevations and has olive (not whitish) eyebrow.
Manus Cicadabird
Edolisoma admiralitatis
Male is dark slate-gray with a black tail tip, black wing feathers, and a dark blackish mask. Female is gray-capped, cinnamon below with distinct barring, and brownish above. Found in forested areas from sea level to 1410 meters of elevation. Reported to give a downslurred “seeu” call.
Sharp-tailed Starling
Lamprotornis acuticaudus
Iridescent green, slim-looking glossy starling. The eye is red in males and orange in females. Although the wedge-shaped tail is distinctive when clearly seen, it’s often not obvious in the field. Uncommon and local in miombo and Zambezi teak broadleaf woodland. Usually in small flocks. The song is a chattering jumble, and the call is an upslurred “sweeit.” Can look very similar to other glossy starlings, but separated by the wedge-shaped tail, the more elongated overall shape, and the lack of purple or blue in the plumage.
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