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Eastern Striolated Puffbird | Nystalus striolatus
Gestreepte baardkoekoek | Buco estriado oriental | Rapazinho-estriado-do-leste
The Eastern Striolated Puffbird is the eastern half of the former, broadly defined species; the western birds are now called Western Striolated Puffbird. It lives mainly in Brazil south of the Amazon and reaches the guide area only in the far north-east of Bolivia. It sits still for long periods at forest edges and is found mainly by its song.
Voice
A soft, sad series of whistles with a characteristic rhythm, which differs from that of Western Striolated Puffbird in the number and structure of the notes.
Recording: JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
20–21 cm, with a large head, a heavy, dull greyish-green bill with a dark tip and a medium-length tail. The upperparts are brown with fine buff and rufous barring. A buff band crosses the hindneck. The face is streaked, the throat white. The breast is buff, the belly whitish, both with fine black streaks. The sexes are alike.
Confusion species
Western Striolated Puffbird Nystalus obamai is almost identical and differs mainly in song; it lives further west, in the foothills and lowlands of Bolivia and the other Andean countries. White-eared Puffbird Nystalus chacuru has a red bill and a white ear patch and lives in open savanna. Spot-backed Puffbird Nystalus maculatus has an orange throat and breast and lives in dry forest.
Habitat
Edges of humid terra firme lowland forest, swamp forest and transitional forest towards drier forest, often near water or clearings. It perches in the lower canopy or the crown and sallies for large insects. Little is known of the nest; presumably a burrow in the ground, as in related species.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Bolivia only in the far north-east of the department of Santa Cruz, on the border with Brazil. Absent from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the Galápagos. Outside the guide area in central and eastern Amazonian Brazil, south of the Amazon and east of the Rio Madeira.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In the guide area to be expected only in the forests of north-eastern Santa Cruz, on the Brazilian border. Listen in the early morning for the soft whistled series along forest edges and clearings.
Conservation status
Not evaluated as a separate species; the former, broadly defined Striolated Puffbird is listed as Least Concern. Much forest is being cleared in southern Amazonia.
Scientific name
Nystalus striolatus | (Pelzeln, 1856)
Pelzeln described the species in 1856 as Bucco striolatus; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Nystalus was introduced in 1863 by Cabanis & Heine. The genus name comes from Greek nustalos, 'drowsy'. The species name striolatus is Latin for 'finely streaked'. The specimen the first description was based on came from Engenho do Gama, Mato Grosso, Brazil.