Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pied Puffbird
Notharchus tectus
Pied Puffbird (Notharchus tectus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
See what's near you right nowThe Pied Puffbird (Notharchus tectus) is a member of the Bucconidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 26.8 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 tectus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 26.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Bucconidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pied 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 Pied Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pied Puffbird (Notharchus tectus) is a member of the Bucconidae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica through Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 26.8 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pied Puffbird?
The Pied Puffbird is a small bird that weighs around 26.8 g.
Where does the Pied Puffbird live?
The Pied Puffbird is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica through Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Pied Puffbird belong to?
The Pied Puffbird (Notharchus tectus) belongs to the Bucconidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Pied Puffbird eat?
The Pied Puffbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pied Puffbird migrate?
The Pied Puffbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pied 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 Pied Puffbird make?
1 real field recording of the Pied Puffbird can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pied Puffbird's range?
The Pied Puffbird has a mapped global range of about 5.1 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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