White-eared Puffbird (Nystalus chacuru)

Identification & Behavior: ~21.5 cm (8.5 in). The White-eared Puffbirds has a thick red/orange bill, pale underparts, brown back and cap, and white ear patches surrounded by black.  No other puffbird occurs in the xeric scrub and semi-open habitats favored by this puffbird, but see Spotted Puffbird and Chestnut-capped Puffbird, which have similar head coloring patterns.

Status: The White-eared Puffbird is uncommon but local in Peru. It favors the dry forests and scrub found in portions of the Mantaro, Apurimac, and Urubamba Valleys at elevations ranging between 1000 to 2200 m. It has also been reported in the Mayo Valley. The White-eared Puffbird also occurs in Br and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Buco de Oreja Blanca.

Sub-species: White-eared Puffbird (Nystalus chacuru uncirostris) Stolzmann, 1926.

Meaning of Name: Nystalus, nustalos = sleepy. chacuru: (Guarani) Indigenous name for this bird.

See more of the Family Bucconidae