Photo: Surucuá / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Swallow-winged Puffbird
Chelidoptera tenebrosa
Swallow-winged Puffbird (Chelidoptera tenebrosa) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Swallow-winged Puffbird (Chelidoptera tenebrosa) is a member of the Bucconidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 35.9 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 Chelidoptera
- Species tenebrosa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 35.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Bucconidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Swallow-winged Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Swallow-winged Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Swallow-winged Puffbird (Chelidoptera tenebrosa) belongs to the Bucconidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA nw Venezuela, Amazonia and e Brazil.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.9 g, with a wing length of about 10.7 cm and a tail of around 5.4 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 8.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Swallow-winged Puffbird?
The Swallow-winged Puffbird is a small bird that weighs around 35.9 g.
Where does the Swallow-winged Puffbird live?
The Swallow-winged Puffbird is found across South America with a range covering SA nw Venezuela, Amazonia and e Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Swallow-winged Puffbird belong to?
The Swallow-winged Puffbird (Chelidoptera tenebrosa) belongs to the Bucconidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Swallow-winged Puffbird eat?
The Swallow-winged Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Swallow-winged Puffbird migrate?
The Swallow-winged Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Swallow-winged 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 Swallow-winged Puffbird make?
1 real field recording of the Swallow-winged Puffbird can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Swallow-winged Puffbird's range?
The Swallow-winged Puffbird has a mapped global range of about 8.7 million 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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