Bird Guide

Black-fronted Nunbird vs White-fronted Nunbird

Black-fronted Nunbird (Monasa nigrifrons)

Black-fronted Nunbird

Monasa nigrifrons

Medium81 gForest

The black-fronted nunbird is 26 to 29 cm (10 to 11 in) long and weighs 68 to 98 g (2.4 to 3.5 oz). The adult of the nominate subspecies is mostly sooty black that is darkest around the bill (the "front"). The rear part of the body is blue-gray and the tail blue-black. The bill is red, the eye dark, and the legs black. M. n. canescens is slightly paler and grayer than the nominate. The juvenile of both is a dirty slate gray with irregular reddish marks. Voice: The black-fronted nunbird's song is " a rapid series of melodious upslurred 'clerry' or 'curry' whistles, broken by occasional downslurred 'turra turra' trill". It is often sung as a chorus by several birds.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jean Martins · CC BY 4.0
White-fronted Nunbird (Monasa morphoeus)

White-fronted Nunbird

Monasa morphoeus

Medium88 gForest

The white-fronted nunbird is 21 to 29 cm (8.3 to 11 in) long. Birds in Central America weigh 90 to 101 g (3.2 to 3.6 oz), those in the eastern Amazon 77 to 87 g (2.7 to 3.1 oz), those in Venezuela 63 to 80 g (2.2 to 2.8 oz), and those in Bolivia 80 to 84 g (2.8 to 3.0 oz). The adult of the nominate subspecies is mostly dark grayish black, somewhat grayer on the underparts. Its forehead ("front") and chin are white. Its bill is orange-red, the eye brown, and the legs black. Immatures have a buffy-rufous face and their body feathers have a brownish tinge and edges. Voice: The white-fronted nunbird has a variety of vocalizations. Examples are "a blurred descending whistle with short rippling trill, 'peeeur-r-r-r-r'; also a loud, mournful 'how how how' and various rippling trills, churrs and rattles" and "group choruses of loud gobbling, barking notes".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tim Lenz · 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: Black-fronted Nunbird and White-fronted Nunbird.