Rufous-capped Nunlet Nonnula ruficapilla Scientific name definitions

The Rufous-capped Nunlet is a small, brownish puffbird of Amazonia. It has a particular fondness for patches of bamboo, but can be found in similar habitats such as second growth, dense vines, and Tessaria scrub, often near rivers or wetlands. It has brown upperparts, a chestnut cap, rufescent underparts, and a gray cheek and neck. Pairs move through the understory and middle levels of vegetation, often perching in one place for a time and wagging their tails in an odd, jerking pendulum motion. There is very little information on the feeding or breeding behavior of this species, although it apparently eats insects. It occurs in southern Amazonia from Peru east to central Brazil, where it is the only nunlet with a chestnut crown.

13·5–14 cm; 14–22 g. Extensive deep chestnut crown patch; entire face , nape and sides of breast cold grey; upperparts from mantle plain dull brown, more rufescent on secondary edges and uppertail-coverts; chin to breast orange-rufous, flanks paler rufous, grading to whitish central underparts and undertail-coverts; bill silvery-blue, black on culmen and cutting edges; iris dark brown, bare orbital ring reddish and swollen; feet dark brownish-grey. Immature has yellowish-brown eyelids. Race rufipectus brighter, especially breast, darker cap; nattereri duller breast, darker cap; <em>inundata</em> darker and duller still.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Inhabits subcanopy and undergrowth in humid forest edges, terra firme forest, second growth, transitional forest, river margins, dense low forest along streams, and igapó. In most of its range species is associated with bamboo (notably river-edge bamboo thickets), but also found in habitats without bamboo; at one site in Rondônia (W Brazil) territories found along roadside forest edge with abundant viny second growth; in Peru strongly associated with Tessaria, the early successional floodplain-forest stage; in hilly forest often found along streambeds.

Presumably resident.

Insects  found in 4 stomachs of specimens from Bolivia. No further details documented.

A long series (13–30 notes) of sharp, clear, short, upward-inflected whistles , “fwick!-fwick!...”, given at a fairly even rate of 2–3 per second, the series slightly softer and lower in pitch near beginning and end.

No information; 4 adults collected in Jun in Bolivia, and 3 in Jun and Aug in C Brazil, were not breeding.

Not globally threatened. Described as rare or uncommon in Peru, but this is probably in part a matter of perception, and in part a question of habitat; thus, records show 19·0 territories/km² in earliest successional stage (Tessaria) but only 3·0 territories/km² in later stages, in backwaters, and this species is infrequent in mature forest; frequently recorded at Manu Wildlife Centre (SE Peru). Common on R Urucu, in W Amazonas, Brazil. Apparently uncommon to rare in Bolivia.