Bird Guide

Barred Puffbird vs Western Striolated Puffbird

Barred Puffbird (Nystalus radiatus)

Barred Puffbird

Nystalus radiatus

Medium61 gForest

The barred puffbird is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long and weighs about 63 g (2.2 oz). Its crown is blackish with dark rufous bars. The upper nape is black, the lower nape yellowish red, and the upper mantle black. The rest of the upperparts and the wings are dark chestnut with narrow black bands. The tail is long, narrow, and chestnut with narrow black bands. The chin is whitish. The face and underparts are pale rufous with fine blackish bars except in the center of the belly. The bill is grayish yellow to blackish, the eye creamy yellow, and the feet greenish gray. Voice: The barred puffbird's song is "a long, slow, ventriloquial and very human-like wolf-whistle, 'phweeeeeet-weeeeeeuuuu'". Near the nest it made low-pitched "werr" and "werr werr woo" calls.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Barred Puffbird
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Esmeraldas: Canandé ridge trail, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Guy Babineau · CC BY 4.0
Western Striolated Puffbird (Nystalus obamai)

Western Striolated Puffbird

Nystalus obamai

Small45 gForest

The eastern striolated puffbird is 19.8 to 21 cm (7.8 to 8.3 in) long and weighs 43 to 47 g (1.5 to 1.7 oz). Its crown is dark brown with rufous spots and bars, blackish toward the rear. Its hindneck has a broad buffy collar. Below that is a blackish band and the rest of the upperparts are dark brown with reddish buff spots and (at the rear) bars. The tail is narrow and blackish brown with thin rufous bars. The face has a white spot in front of the eye; the rest of the face is buffy with fine dusky streaks. Voice: The western striolated puffbird's song is "a soft, sad whistle, whip, whi-wheeu, wheeeeeuu, with distinctive cadence, first rising, then falling after short pause." The song is typically given shortly after dawn or just before dusk. Often the male sings first and is quickly followed by the female at a slightly lower pitch.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Western Striolated Puffbird
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Duet · Napo: km 11.6 Narupa-Loreto road, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Joao Quental · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Barred Puffbird and Western Striolated Puffbird.