FAMILY BUCCONID.E 



and reddish bronze on back and golden on rump ; 

 tail metallic bluish green and violet blue; chin, 

 upper throat and sides of head metallic green 

 shading to golden green on sides of neck ; a patch 

 of white covering the lower throat; remaining 

 underparts rich tawny. Bill longer than head, 

 broad at base, black and curved. 



Female. Similar to male but throat entirely 

 tawny, with no white patch. 



Very rare in the Canal Zone. Found in the 

 heavy jungle, quite tame and stupid, and not 

 easily flushed when closely approached. 



44. Family BUCCONID^ 



The Puffbirds 



f 



A rather small family of arboreal birds 

 closely allied to the jacamar family and in 

 some classifications made a subfamily of it. 

 Like the jacamar s they are confined to the 

 forests of tropical America, excluding the 

 West Indies, but they differ from them in 

 being of stouter build, with a large head, 

 stouter and shorter bill slightly hooked at 

 the tip, and loose fluffy plumage in which 

 bright colors are lacking, though the color 

 pattern is often striking. 



They are fearless, inactive and apparently 

 stupid birds which get their name from sitting 

 motionless on some branch for a long time 

 with their feathers puffed out. 



221 



