Rusty-breasted Nunlet

Rusty-breasted Nunlet

Nonnula rubecula

Silhouette: Matt Wilkins (Photo by Len Blumin) · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Iguazú National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

176 Verified sightings at Iguazú National Park From 2019 to 2026
335 In all 3 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rusty-breasted Nunlet

The rusty-breasted nunlet (Nonnula rubecula) 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.

Taxonomists recognize the seven subspecies of rusty-breasted nunlet listed below. However, the species' taxonomy is unsettled. Some of the subspecies might be species in their own right, some might not be valid at all as separate taxa, and the nominate subspecies might actually represent two subspecies or species.

The subspecies vary in structure and color from each other. In general, the more northerly subspecies have a longer and narrower bill and a shorter tail than the more southerly ones. The nominate subspecies has what amounts to two or three color... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:18

Brazil · 2024

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC898269 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:26

Brazil · 2011

© Luiz Gabriel Mazzoni · XC189495 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:30

Colombia · 2011

© Andrew Spencer · XC80996 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
2 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
3 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rusty-breasted Nunlet in Iguazú National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rusty-breasted Nunlet sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 176 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 186th most-seen of the 343 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rusty-breasted Nunlet in Iguazú National Park?

April and August

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rusty-breasted Nunlet in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–July and September–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rusty-breasted Nunlet?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rusty-breasted Nunlet sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Iguazú National Park the best place to see a Rusty-breasted Nunlet?

Among the best

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Rusty-breasted Nunlet sightings, Iguazú National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Iguaçu National Park (Brazil, under 5%).

Where does the Rusty-breasted Nunlet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rusty-breasted Nunlet is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguazú National Park (176 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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