Swallow-winged Puffbird Gallery

Chelidoptera tenebrosa

The Birds of the World website offers these introductory words about the Swallow-winged Puffbird:  Also known simply as the Swallow-wing, this species is the sole species of Chelidoptera, and is widespread across the lowlands (generally below 1000 m) of the northern two-thirds of South America east of the Andes, including in the northern Atlantic Forest biome. It is a very distinctive and fairly common bird, most often encountered perched high on a dead branch along a riverbank, or on a telephone wire, and is typically observed in pairs, which are sometimes found in direct proximity to the neighboring pair. The birds regularly sally forth to seize insects in flight. Their overall dark plumage contrasts with the whitish or rufous belly and white rump. The species’ relative abundance and small bill often confuse the less knowledgeable observer into thinking that the Swallow-winged Puffbird is not a member of the Bucconidae.

I saw and photographed my first Swallow-winged Puffbird on the morning of August 19, 2023 in the Amazon Basin Region of Brazil.  Our small group with Jeff Parker Tours was at Southwild’s Fazenda São Nicolau located on the Juruena River west of Alta Floresta.  That morning we were up early for a boat ride on the river when we spotted a pair of Swallow-winged Puffbirds perched high in a tree near the river.  Because of the distance, my photos are not great, but were sufficient for identification.  For a more detailed description of the trip that included my sighting of this bird look at this blog post.  Here are some of my photos of this rather nondescript bird.