The brown nunlet is a species of near-passerine bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Inhabits humid lowland and foothill rainforests, favoring terra firme and river-edge (várzea) forests with dense understory. Often found along forest edges, streamside thickets, and light gaps where low perches are abundant. Uses secondary growth and bamboo tangles as well as mature forest. Typically remains within a few meters of the ground and keeps to shaded, sheltered microhabitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The brown nunlet is a small, quiet puffbird that spends long periods perched motionless in the lower forest understory. It hunts by sallying to snatch insects from foliage or the ground. Like other puffbirds, pairs often excavate a short burrow in an earthen bank for nesting. It occurs in the western Amazon of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Temperament
quiet, inconspicuous, and sedentary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between low perches; brief sallies to capture prey
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs that maintain small territories. Pairs communicate softly and may sit close together for extended periods. Nesting typically involves a short tunnel dug into an earthen bank where 2–3 eggs are laid and incubated by both parents.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, whistled series of clear notes delivered at long intervals, often descending slightly in pitch. Calls are low and unobtrusive, making the species easier to hear than to see.
Plumage
Uniform warm brown to rufescent-brown with slightly paler underparts and a subtly buffy chin; feathers appear soft and slightly fluffy.
Diet
Primarily takes insects and other arthropods, including beetles, orthopterans, ants, caterpillars, and spiders. Hunts from a low perch and darts out to seize prey from leaves or the ground. Occasionally takes small vertebrates such as tiny lizards when available.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the shaded lower understory along forest edges, stream borders, and in dense thickets or bamboo. Often chooses quiet perches with good lateral cover and clear strike routes to nearby foliage.
