Spotted Puffbird Bucco tamatia Scientific name definitions

The Spotted Puffbird is perhaps the fanciest member of the genus Bucco within the puffbird family. Most striking, and unique in the puffbirds, is the combination of a chestnut cap, black neck mark, and the white underparts heavily spotted black. It is found throughout much of western Amazonia from eastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela south to southeastern Peru. Also found in the Orinocan drainage in eastern Venezuela and the Guianas. Although it is fairly widespread, it is not common anywhere. Typically frequents the mid-story and canopy of varzea forest, and along the edge of slow moving streams. Most commonly detected at dawn and dusk by voice, an up-slurred whistle, quickly repeated over and over.

18–18·5 cm (1 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ); 33–42 g. Diffuse rufous band at base of bill to above and behind eye, changing to indistinct rufous spots on dark brown crown; poorly marked blackish line from base of bill through and below eye to upper ear-coverts, bordered below by white stripe connecting to narrow white nuchal band; triangular black patch below white cheekstripe, whitish chin with long, stiff, recurved white bristles; rufous throat to upper breast and sides of neck; upperparts dark brown as crown, with buffy scalloping on lower mantle, back and especially rump and uppertail-coverts; flight-feathers dark brown, secondaries edged buffy; tail graduated for quarter of length, dark brown with buffy edges; whitish breast to lower flanks spotted and scaled black, markings diminishing in size and number on flanks; centre of belly and undertail-coverts white with small black spots ; buffy underwing-coverts and bases of undersides of flight-feathers; bill all black; iris bright red, bare eyering dark grey; feet dark grey or greenish. Immature may have barred paler throat, more chevron-like spots below, buffier lower underparts, indistinct face pattern, heavily buff-barred upperparts, buffy collar. Race pulmentum has very pale throat, brighter forehead, and heavier spotting; hypneleus  larger but smaller-billed than nominate, heavier spotting below, notably across breast.

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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.

Mainly found in várzea and igapó forest, humid forest borders, mature second growth, impoverished sandy (or red lateritic) (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) savanna woodland, sand-ridge forest, gallery forest in cerrado, palm groves, and marshy edges, shrubbery and bushes, often near water; rarely in deep forest, but only occasionally chooses truly exposed perches (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Occurs from lowlands up to 1400 m (on Cerro Duida), but mainly found below 700 m in Venezuela (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Presumably resident.

Caterpillars , small lizards  , spiders  (Araneae), scorpions (Scorpiones), flies (Brachycera), beetles (Carabidae, Curculionidae), cicadas  , dragonflies  (Odonata), grasshoppers  (Orthoptera), Isoptera, bees; also berries of mistletoe (Loranthaceae). One bird seen catching large hawkmoths (Sphingidae) attracted to flowering shrubs at dusk. Still-hunts from low exposed perch , typically 2–8 m above ground, with long periods of inactivity being punctuated by abrupt sallies to foliage or bark for prey (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Sometimes follows army ants.

Infrequently heard (mainly dawn) (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) song a series of 10–20 soft, whistled “chyoi” or “puwéep” (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) notes (c. 2 per second), weak and hesitant at first (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), then a few at lower pitch and slower, ending with c. 4 inflected “pchooii, pchooii, pchooii, peejowee” whistles; sometimes given in duet (1 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), entire song lasts c. 15 seconds (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); faint wheezy whistles, mellow “whe” notes (1 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), in disputes.

Birds in breeding condition in Mar–Apr in Venezuela (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); courtship feeding in Jun in French Guiana; at nests in arboreal termitaria in Aug in Roraima  (N Brazil) and Sept in N Mato Grosso  (S Amazonian Brazil); laying in Sept in Bolivia. Clutch two eggs. Other details not documented.

Not globally threatened. Uncommon in most of range, including the Guianas, Peru and most of Brazil, but easily overlooked and probably more abundant in many regions than currently supposed (2 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In Amazonas, Brazil, evidently common in one area along R Purus and on R Urucu. Occurs in Amacayacu National Park, Colombia, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivia (3 Bates, J. M., T. A. Parker, A. P. Capparella, and T. J. Davis (1992). Observations on the campo, cerrado and forest avifaunas of eastern Dpto. Santa Cruz, Bolivia, including 21 species new to the country. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 112(2):86–98. Close ), and the Serra dos Carajás mosiac of protected areas, Brazil (4 Pacheco, J. F., G. M. Kirwan, A. Aleixo, B. M. Whitney, A. Whittaker, J. Minns, K. J. Zimmer, P. S. M. Fonseca, M. F. Lima, and D. C. Oren (2007). An avifaunal inventory of the CVRD Serra dos Carajás project, Pará, Brazil. Cotinga 27:15–30. Close ).