Malacoptila semicincta
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins (Photo by Len Blumin) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The semicollared puffbird (Malacoptila semicincta) is a species of near-passerine bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is one of seven species of the genus Malacoptila. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
The semicollared puffbird and the white-chested puffbird (M. fusca) were for a time considered conspecific but are now treated as a superspecies. It is monotypic. The semicollared puffbird is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs about 44 g (1.6 oz). The head and upperparts are blackish brown; pale shafts to the feathers give a streaked appearance. Its tail is brown. It has a whitish "whisker" and chin and a thin white crescent across the upper breast. The back of the neck has a rufous "collar". The underparts are whitish with blackish streaks on the lower breast and flanks. The bill is mostly black above and yellow-orange below, the eye dark red with a white ring around it, and the feet pale greenish pink.
The semicollared puffbird is found in western Amazonia where far western Brazil, southeastern Peru, and far northern Bolivia meet. It inhabits transitional forest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Semicollared Puffbird sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 162 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 252nd most-seen of the 550 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Semicollared Puffbird in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in October to April, the lowest months. Those are among Tambopata National Reserve's driest months, with about 85 mm of rain a month against 420 mm in February.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Semicollared Puffbird sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Semicollared Puffbird sightings, Tambopata National Reserve has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Manu National Park (Peru, under 5%).
Same family: Bucconidae
The closest relatives of the Semicollared Puffbird that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Bucconidae, Puffbirds) are Black-fronted Nunbird (about 50%), White-fronted Nunbird (about 20%) and Swallow-wing Puffbird (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Semicollared Puffbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (162 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.
