Malacoptila mystacalis
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins (Photo by Len Blumin) · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The moustached puffbird (Malacoptila mystacalis) is a species of near-passerine bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is one of seven species in the genus Malacoptila. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
The moustached puffbird is monotypic, though the population in southwestern Colombia might merit treatment as a subspecies. It is thought to form a superspecies with the white-whiskered puffbird (M. panamensis) and black-streaked puffbird (M. fulvogularis).
The moustached puffbird is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long and weighs 47 to 50 g (1.7 to 1.8 oz). Unlike most puffbirds, the male and female have different plumages. Both sexes have bristles around the base of the large bill, and white "whiskers", which are actually tufts of feathers. The adult male is drab brown above with white to buffy spots on the back and the wing coverts. Its tail is brown with small buffy markings. Its lores and a half ring behind the eye are white. The chin, throat, and breast are rufous with indistinct darker streaks on the last. The belly is white and the flanks dull brown with whitish bars and streaks. The... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 3 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Moustached Puffbird sighting in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, based on 42 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 286th most-seen of the 424 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Moustached Puffbird in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Moustached Puffbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Moustached Puffbird sightings, Los Nevados National Natural Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%) and Henri Pittier National Park (Venezuela, under 5%).
Same order: Piciformes
The closest relatives of the Moustached Puffbird that you can see in Los Nevados National Natural Park (order Piciformes, Woodpeckers and Allies) are Crimson-mantled Woodpecker (about 10%), Black-billed Mountain-Toucan (about 10%) and Southern Emerald-Toucanet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Moustached Puffbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Los Nevados National Natural Park (42 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.
