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Moustached Puffbird Malacoptila mystacalis Scientific name definitions

Pamela C. Rasmussen and Nigel Collar
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2002

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Introduction

The Moustached Puffbird is sometimes considered to form a superspecies with the Black-streaked Puffbird (Malacoptila fulvogularis) of the east slope of the Andes, and the White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis), and like the latter species, the sexes differ in the present species. Female Moustached Puffbirds are darker brown above, especially over the head and neck, with darker markings on the flanks and rear underparts, and a less prominent white moustachial. Overall, the fairly common Moustached Puffbird ranges across northwest South America, in the Andes of Colombia to northern Venezuela, where it reaches to at least 2100 m, and is usually found in the understory of wet forest. The species’ biology is apparently poorly known, although it is unlikely to differ much from the other Malacoptila puffbirds.

Field Identification

20–23 cm; 47–50 g. Male drab brown above; dark-bordered white area around lores and base of forehead, small blackish patch above nares, white half-ring at rear of eye; ear-coverts richer brown with pale shaft streaks; dark-surrounded white malar whiskers; chin feathers long, pale rufous; upperparts with white to buffy spots, large and in rows on wing-coverts, as narrow bars on back to uppertail-coverts; wings plain brown with narrow buffy edgings; tail longish, strongly graduated, brown with narrow buffy tips; throat to breast pale rufous, vague band of dark streaks around lower edge; lower flanks dull brown, barred and streaked whitish, central abdomen and undertail-coverts white; underwing-coverts and bases of remiges buffy; bill black, most of lower mandible bluish; iris red, dark orbital ring; feet silvery-bluish. Female generally greyer, duller brown above, more heavily marked with buff above and on ear-coverts, paler breast, more heavily marked below. Immature has shorter bill; darker, more obscurely marked overall, with little rufous below.

Systematics History

Probably closely related to M. panamensis and M. fulvogularis. Population of SW Colombia possibly merits subspecific status, as race pacifica. Treated as monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Andes of Colombia and NW & N Venezuela.

Habitat

Inhabits undergrowth, 2–6 m above ground, in dense tangled parts of humid and wet forest, often in gulleys and on slopes, also forest edge, open woodland, deciduous forest, rarely reaching the lower limits of cloudforest. Occurs at 350–2100 m.

Movement

Presumably resident.

Diet and Foraging

No information available.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

High thin peeping, similar to congeners.

Breeding

Evidence suggests Feb–Sept in Colombia, May–Aug in Venezuela. Nest in hole in earth bank. Clutch size and incubation and fledging periods not known.
Not globally threatened. Uncommon in Colombia. Fairly uncommon in Venezuela; occurs in Henri Pittier National Park.
Distribution of the Moustached Puffbird - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Moustached Puffbird

Recommended Citation

Rasmussen, P. C. and N. Collar (2020). Moustached Puffbird (Malacoptila mystacalis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.moupuf1.01
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