Nystalus radiatus
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins (Photo by Len Blumin) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The barred puffbird (Nystalus radiatus) is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is found in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. In the first half of the twentieth century the barred puffbird was treated by some authors as belonging to genus Ecchaunornis, but since then was returned to genus Nystalus. It is monotypic. A proposed subspecies, "N. r. fulvidus" is probably a color morph.
The barred puffbird is about 22 cm (8.7 in) long and weighs about 63 g (2.2 oz). Its crown is blackish with dark rufous bars. The upper nape is black, the lower nape yellowish red, and the upper mantle black. The rest of the upperparts and the wings are dark chestnut with narrow black bands. The tail is long, narrow, and chestnut with narrow black bands. The chin is whitish. The face and underparts are pale rufous with fine blackish bars except in the center of the belly. The bill is grayish yellow to blackish, the eye creamy yellow, and the feet greenish gray. The "fulvidus" morph is a deeper rufous overall.
The barred puffbird is resident from central Panama into northern Colombia and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | San Lorenzo Protected Forest | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Barred Puffbird sighting in San Lorenzo Protected Forest on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 172nd most-seen of the 249 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Barred Puffbird in San Lorenzo Protected Forest on a given day, against under 5% in July–October and December–April, the lowest months. That is one of San Lorenzo Protected Forest's wettest months, with about 380 mm of rain against 65 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Barred 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Barred Puffbird sightings, San Lorenzo Protected Forest ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Darién National Park (Panama, about 10%).
Same family: Bucconidae
The closest relatives of the Barred Puffbird that you can see in San Lorenzo Protected Forest (family Bucconidae, Puffbirds) are Pied Puffbird (about 20%), Black-breasted Puffbird (about 10%) and White-whiskered Puffbird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Barred Puffbird is recorded against all the birds logged in San Lorenzo Protected Forest (19 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.
