The White-eared Puffbird (Nystalus chacuru) is a species of bird in the Bucconidae family, the puffbirds. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina; also Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, and heavily degraded former forest.

Overview

Synoptic description

As with some puffbirds, the White-eared Puffbird is a round, plump bird with a short, very narrow tail. It has a large head and orange, black-tipped bill, the head appearing almost oversized for its body. The 'sit-and-wait' feeding strategy, for insects, or opportunistic prey may explain this body shape.

The bird is medium brown-backed, same with wings, white and black flecked on the breast. The upper breast is white extending to a narrow-to medium width white collar surrounding the neck. The species is named for its distinctive, medium-sized bright white ear patch. It has blackish eyes, black surrounding the white ear patch, and the same brown, for its crown as the wings/back. Overall, a distinctive, multi-colored bird.

Distribution

Range: SE Cerradan Brazil

The White-eared Puffbird's range is in SE Brazil, and is centered on the Cerrado region; the range is also on the southeast Atlantic coast from northern Bahia state south to the Paraná"?Santa Catarina state borders. The bird's range covers much of the eastern and northern Pantanal; also southern areas of the Caatinga.

In the north and west parts of its range, the range covers the upstream headwaters of some Amazon Basin river systems. The White-eared Puffbird's range encompasses nearly all of northern Bolivia, the Madeira River's many headwater tributary rivers; also the extreme headwaters of the Tapajós River. East of the Tapajós, the range expands into the Cerrado, the upper half of the Xingu River drainage, and the entire drainage system of the Araguaia-Tocantins River, (the eastward system, typically considered part of the 'Amazon Basin').

Peru is part of the range on the very western border region of Bolivia; also some locale regions of north-central Peru. A second locale is mid-river on the downstream Madeira River in southern Amazon Basin Amazonas state.