Nonnula ruficapilla
The Rufous-capped Nunlet (Nonnula ruficapilla) is a small, unobtrusive bird belonging to the Bucconidae family, which includes puffbirds and other nunlets. Measuring approximately 14 cm (5.5 inches) in length and weighing around 16-18 grams, its appearance is characterized by a distinctive rich rufous cap that extends from the forehead to the nape. Key field marks include a contrasting white chin and throat, pale grayish-buff underparts, and dark olive-brown upperparts, often with a hint of r...
This nunlet primarily inhabits humid lowland evergreen forests, often found in the forest understory, secondary growth, and at forest borders up to elevations of about 1000 meters.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and caterpillars, which they capture by sallying from a perch.
Rufous-capped Nunlets are diurnal and primarily solitary or found in quiet pairs, often perching motionless for extended periods, making them difficult to spot. Their foraging strategy is a classic 'sit-and-wait' approach: they perch inconspicuously on a low branch, scanning for prey, then sally ...
The Rufous-capped Nunlet is primarily distributed across the Amazon Basin in South America, extending from southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru, east through northern Bolivia, and into Amazonian Brazil. Within Brazil, its range is expansive, found both south of the Amazon Rive...
Least Concern
- The name 'nunlet' refers to their somewhat plain, uncrested appearance, evoking a sense of monastic simplicity, unlike their often more flamboyant puffbird relatives. - Despite being part of the 'puffbird' family (Bucconidae), nunlets lack the prominent facial bristles and often puffy plumage c...