Bird Guide

Black Nunbird vs White-fronted Nunbird

Black Nunbird (Monasa atra)

Black Nunbird

Monasa atra

Medium90 gForest

The black nunbird is 25 to 29 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long and weighs 74 to 104 g (2.6 to 3.7 oz). The adult's upperparts are glossy blue-black and the underparts dark gray to light gray. The lesser coverts are white, showing as a wide white band on the closed wing. The bill is red, the eye red to brown, and the legs and feet slaty black. Immatures are sootier above and browner below than the adult. Voice: The black nunbird's songs are a "lute-like 'whoo-doo-doo' and descending 'hyoo-hoo-hoo-oo-oo-oo'". Calls include a "loud 'yawkl-diddl' or 'quee-didada'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Charlotte Kirchner · 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 Nunbird and White-fronted Nunbird.