Photo: Kb4003 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-breasted Puffbird
Notharchus pectoralis
Black-breasted Puffbird (Notharchus pectoralis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-breasted Puffbird (Notharchus pectoralis) is a member of the Bucconidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 69.1 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 pectoralis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Bucconidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-breasted Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-breasted Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-breasted Puffbird (Notharchus pectoralis) is a member of the Bucconidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Panama to nw Ecuador.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69.1 g, with a wing length of about 9.8 cm and a tail of around 8.4 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 198,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-breasted Puffbird?
The Black-breasted Puffbird is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69.1 g.
Where does the Black-breasted Puffbird live?
The Black-breasted Puffbird is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Panama to nw Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-breasted Puffbird belong to?
The Black-breasted Puffbird (Notharchus pectoralis) belongs to the Bucconidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Black-breasted Puffbird eat?
The Black-breasted Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-breasted Puffbird migrate?
The Black-breasted Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-breasted 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 Black-breasted Puffbird make?
1 real field recording of the Black-breasted Puffbird — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-breasted Puffbird's range?
The Black-breasted Puffbird has a mapped global range of about 198,000 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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