The white-eared puffbird is a species of bird in the Bucconidae family, the puffbirds. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru, where it inhabits tropical and subtropical dry forests, subtropical and tropical moist forests, gallery forests, tropical savanna, and heavily degraded former forest.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from central and eastern Brazil into Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina, and western Peru. It favors tropical and subtropical dry and moist forests, gallery forests, cerrado savannas, scrub, and forest edge. Often found in secondary growth, pastures with scattered trees, and along riparian corridors. Readily persists in mosaics of degraded woodland and agricultural landscapes.
Altitude Range
0–1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Puffbirds get their name from their fluffy appearance and habit of perching motionless for long periods. The white-eared puffbird often hunts by sallying from exposed perches to snatch large insects and small vertebrates. It excavates a burrow-style nest in earthen banks or flat ground, where both parents share incubation and chick-rearing.
White-eared Puffbird at Jacutinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs perched quietly in exposed sites. Breeding pairs dig tunnel nests in earthen banks or level ground, ending in a nesting chamber. Both sexes incubate and feed the young, and pairs defend small territories.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of clear, whistled notes, often descending and delivered from an exposed perch. Calls can carry far and are used in duet-like exchanges between mates.
