Western Puffbird

Western Puffbird

Nystalus obamai

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

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tambopata National Reserve

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

305 Verified sightings at Tambopata National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
484 In all 2 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Western Puffbird

The western striolated puffbird (Nystalus obamai) is a species of bird in the family Bucconidae, the puffbirds, nunlets, and nunbirds. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC), the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC), and the Clements taxonomy treat the western striolated puffbird as a species. According to them, the original striolated puffbird (Nystalus striolatus) was found to include a previously undefined species that is now the western striolated puffbird; it had not been recognized even as a subspecies. N. striolatus was renamed "eastern striolated puffbird" after the split.

The western striolated puffbird's specific epithet honors former U.S. president Barack Obama. The western striolated puffbird is monotypic. The western striolated puffbird is 19.8 to 21 cm (7.8 to 8.3 in) long and weighs... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:53

Brazil · 2020

© GABRIEL LEITE · XC592237 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:09

Ecuador · 1996

© Mitch Lysinger · XC260579 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Duet0:33

Ecuador · 1999

© John V. Moore · XC257961 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
2 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Puffbird in Tambopata National Reserve?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Puffbird sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 305 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 138th most-seen of the 550 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Puffbird in Tambopata National Reserve?

February and May

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Puffbird in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in March–April and June–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Western Puffbird?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western 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.

Is Tambopata National Reserve the best place to see a Western Puffbird?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Western Puffbird sightings, Tambopata National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Manu National Park (Peru, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Western Puffbird live in Tambopata National Reserve?

Same family: Bucconidae

The closest relatives of the Western 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.

Where does the Western Puffbird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Puffbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (305 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.

← Back to Tambopata National Reserve