This morning, while wandering the tangled edge of a riparian forest on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, I had the luck of witnessing a moment that both thrilled and puzzled me: a White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis) perched silently almost on eye level, a vividly patterned butterfly pinned in its bill.
It was shortly after 11:00 a.m., and the forest was still alive with the low thrum of waking insects and the intermittent calls of wrens and manakins. The White-whiskered Puffbird, inspite of its cryptic nature, was quite exposed on its perch—a crooked limb mottled with lichens. Additionally movement drew my attention. The butterfly, still fluttering weakly, contrasted starkly against the bird’s duller plumage. I watched and photographed for several minutes before the White-whiskered Puffbird repositioned the insect and flew deeper into the understory.
The White-whiskered Puffbird is a member of the family Bucconidae and is typically insectivorous, though its prey spectrum is more diverse than often appreciated. This species inhabits humid lowland forests and wooded edges up to 1,200 m elevation, often favoring shady thickets and riparian corridors. While its presence along Costa Rica’s Pacific slope is well documented, direct observations of feeding—particularly on lepidopterans—remain relatively scarce in the literature.
The butterfly in question appeared to be a member of the subfamily Heliconiinae, possibly within the genus Heliconius or Dryas, both of which are known for their aposematic coloration and chemical defenses derived from host plants (mainly Passiflora spp.). While many insectivorous birds avoid such prey, puffbirds—owing to their sit-and-wait foraging strategy—may opportunistically exploit even chemically defended insects, potentially relying on mechanical subjugation or learned selection to handle such prey safely.
This encounter underscores the flexibility in the White-whiskered Puffbird’s foraging behavior and raises interesting questions about predator-prey dynamics in Neotropical forests. While traditionally considered sluggish and highly selective predators, puffbirds may, at times, play a broader role in shaping arthropod communities than previously assumed.
Continued observation and documentation of these interactions—especially with identified prey species—may help refine our understanding of the feeding ecology of the White-whiskered Puffbird and by extension, its ecological niche within riparian woodlands of Central America.
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