Photo: Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Buff-bellied Puffbird
Notharchus swainsoni
Buff-bellied Puffbird (Notharchus swainsoni) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Buff-bellied Puffbird (Notharchus swainsoni) is a member of the Bucconidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 73.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Bucconidae Puffbirds
- Genus Notharchus
- Species swainsoni
Quick facts
- Weight
- 73.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Bucconidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Buff-bellied Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Buff-bellied Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Buff-bellied Puffbird (Notharchus swainsoni) is a species of bird in the Bucconidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil, ne Paraguay and ne Argentina.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 73.8 g, with a wing length of about 11 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 927,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Buff-bellied Puffbird?
The Buff-bellied Puffbird is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 73.8 g.
Where does the Buff-bellied Puffbird live?
The Buff-bellied Puffbird is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil, ne Paraguay and ne Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Buff-bellied Puffbird belong to?
The Buff-bellied Puffbird (Notharchus swainsoni) belongs to the Bucconidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Buff-bellied Puffbird eat?
The Buff-bellied Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Buff-bellied Puffbird migrate?
The Buff-bellied Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Buff-bellied Puffbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Buff-bellied Puffbird make?
1 real field recording of the Buff-bellied Puffbird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Buff-bellied Puffbird's range?
The Buff-bellied Puffbird has a mapped global range of about 927,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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