Malacoptila Explained

Malacoptila is a genus of puffbirds in the family Bucconidae, one of ten genera.

The genus Malacoptila was introduced in 1841 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray.^[1] The name combines the Ancient Greek malakos meaning "soft" with ptilon meaning "plumage" or "feather".^[2] The type species is the white-chested puffbird.^[3]

Extant Species

The genus contains the following seven species:^[4]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Malacoptila fulvogularis		Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
	Malacoptila fusca		Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela
	Malacoptila mystacalis		Colombia and Venezuela
	Malacoptila panamensis		southeastern Mexico to central Ecuador.
	Malacoptila rufa		Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru
	Malacoptila semicincta		Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru
	Malacoptila striata		southeast Brazil

Notes and References

1. Book: Gray, George Robert . George Robert Gray . 1841 . A List of the Genera of Birds : with their Synonyma and an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus . 2nd . London . R. and J.E. Taylor . 13 .
2. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 239 .
3. Book: Peters . James Lee . James L. Peters . 1948 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 6 . Harvard University Press . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 16 .
4. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2023 . Jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans, honeyguides . IOC World Bird List Version 13.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 15 February 2023 .