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Photo: William Swainson (1789-1855) / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Rusty-breasted Nunlet

Nonnula rubecula

Rusty-breasted Nunlet (Nonnula rubecula) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.

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The Rusty-breasted Nunlet (Nonnula rubecula) is a member of the Bucconidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 18.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Piciformes
  3. Family Bucconidae Puffbirds
  4. Genus Nonnula
  5. Species rubecula

Where it lives

Amazonia and southeastern Brazil

Quick facts

Weight
18.4 g
Family
Bucconidae
Order
Piciformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet 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 Rusty-breasted Nunlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet (Nonnula rubecula) is a species of bird in the Bucconidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia and se Brazil.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 5.9 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Rusty-breasted Nunlet — Song

Recorded by Joost van Bruggen Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Rusty-breasted Nunlet?

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet is a small bird that weighs around 18.4 g.

Where does the Rusty-breasted Nunlet live?

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia and se Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Rusty-breasted Nunlet belong to?

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet (Nonnula rubecula) belongs to the Bucconidae family, in the order Piciformes.

What does the Rusty-breasted Nunlet eat?

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Rusty-breasted Nunlet migrate?

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Rusty-breasted Nunlet 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 Rusty-breasted Nunlet make?

1 real field recording of the Rusty-breasted Nunlet — 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 Rusty-breasted Nunlet's range?

The Rusty-breasted Nunlet has a mapped global range of about 5.4 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

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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