The rusty-breasted nunlet is a species of near-passerine bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and possibly French Guiana.
Region
Amazon Basin and Guianan Shield of northern South America
Typical Environment
Occupies lowland tropical forests including terra firme and seasonally flooded (várzea) forests, as well as dense second growth and forest edges. It favors shaded, tangled understory near streams and clearings where it can hunt from low perches. The species is generally absent from open habitats and heavily altered landscapes. It is local but widespread where suitable understory remains intact.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, near-passerine puffbird that spends long periods perched quietly in the dim forest understory, making it easy to overlook. It typically sallies from low perches to snatch insects and other small arthropods. Its soft, whistled notes carry in the forest, often revealing its presence before it is seen.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid flights between low perches; brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, sometimes with a dependent juvenile. Pairs maintain small territories in dense understory. Like other puffbirds, it nests in cavities or earthen/termitaria burrows with both parents participating in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives soft, mellow whistles—often single or paired notes—repeated at measured intervals. Calls are low-carrying but distinctive in quiet forest conditions.
Plumage
Warm rufous to rusty underparts with brown to olive-brown upperparts and a softer, fluffy texture typical of puffbirds. The throat is paler, often buffy, setting off the deeper rusty breast. Small, compact body with a short tail and a stout bill.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects such as beetles, orthopterans, ants, and spiders, taken by sallying from a low perch. Occasionally gleans prey from foliage or the ground. May supplement its diet with other small arthropods when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense, shaded understory, often 1–3 meters above ground along forest edges, stream margins, and vine tangles. Prefers semi-open gaps within otherwise closed-canopy forest.
