Black-breasted puffbird

The black-breasted puffbird is monotypic.[2] It is closely related to the brown-banded puffbird (N. ordii) and some authors have proposed that they form a superspecies.[3][4]

The black-breasted puffbird is 19 to 23 cm (7.5 to 9.1 in) long and weighs between 60 and 69 g (2.1 and 2.4 oz). The plumage is mostly glossy blue-black, with a white collar, cheeks, throat, and belly, a blue-black breast band, and a black tail with white tips on the feathers. The closed wing and rump show narrow white scallops. The flanks are dark gray with buffy marks. The heavy bill is black, as are the feet, and the iris of the eye is dark brown or red. The two sexes are the same, and the plumage of juvenile birds has not been described.[4]

The black-breasted puffbird is found from the Canal Zone of Panama east into central Colombia and south through western Colombia into northwestern Ecuador. It inhabits humid lowland rainforest and secondary forest from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is seldom found near forest edges, and is more restricted to forests than its close relatives, but is often found near running water. It is usually found in the canopy, but will descend to the forest floor to pursue prey flushed by army ant swarms.[4]

The IUCN has assessed the black-breasted puffbird as being of Least Concern. It has a large range and a population of at least 50,000 mature individuals, though the latter is believed to be decreasing.[1] The species is generally uncommon, but may be overlooked frequently due to its habit of remaining motionless for hours. Habitat disturbance is a threat.[4]