Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Russet-throated Puffbird (Hypnelus ruficollis)
Russet-throated Puffbird

Russet-throated Puffbird

Hypnelus ruficollis

The russet-throated puffbird, Hypnelus ruficollis, is a member of the Bucconidae family, which includes puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. This bird is characterized by its distinctive rufous throat and upper breast, with a length ranging from 20 to 22 cm and a weight between 41 to 57 grams.

Identification Tips

Adults of the nominate subspecies boast a dark brown crown with pale brown spots and a reddish spot above the bill. A white patch encircles the eye and cheek, contrasted by a black patch below. The nape features a buffy or white collar. The upperparts are a dull brown with grayish mottling, and the wings display buffy "scales" when closed. The tail is long and dark brown with pale feather edges. Below the rufous throat lies a thin white and a broad black band across the chest, with the remainder of the underparts being reddish buff with black bars or spots on the flanks. The bill is black, eyes range from yellow to white, and the feet are black or dull green.

Habitat

The russet-throated puffbird inhabits a variety of open to semi-open landscapes, including the interiors and edges of open deciduous forests, treed savannas, dense secondary forests, and arid scrubs with scattered trees.

Distribution

This species is found in Colombia and Venezuela, with four subspecies recognized by the IOC distributed across different regions, including extreme northeastern Colombia, northern Colombia, northwestern Venezuela's Zulia and Falcón states, and western Venezuela south of Lake Maracaibo.

Behaviour

The russet-throated puffbird is a still-hunter, perching up to 8 meters above ground before sallying to capture prey on the ground, in vegetation, or on branches or trunks.

Song & Calls

Its song consists of repeated rhythmic 'woduk' notes that crescendo for up to 20 seconds before diminishing, typically sung at dawn and often by pairs. Additionally, it emits a "seeeeep" call.

Breeding

Breeding has been documented in May in Colombia and in August and September in Venezuela. The bird usually excavates a burrow in an arboreal termitarium or occasionally uses the nest of a pale-legged hornero. Clutch size is typically three eggs.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the russet-throated puffbird is primarily composed of insects, but it also includes small vertebrates like lizards and some fruits.

Conservation Status

The IUCN has assessed the russet-throated puffbird as being of Least Concern, with a large range and a population believed to be stable. It is also present in protected areas within its range in both Colombia and Venezuela.

Russet-throated Puffbird Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Russet-throated Puffbirds on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Puffbirds

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.