About Monasa atra (Boddaert, 1783)
Size and Weight
The black nunbird (Monasa atra) measures 25 to 29 cm (9.8 to 11 inches) in length and weighs 74 to 104 g (2.6 to 3.7 ounces).
Adult Plumage
Adult individuals have glossy blue-black upperparts and dark gray to light gray underparts. Their lesser wing coverts are white, which forms a wide white band when the wing is closed.
Adult Soft Parts
Adults have a red bill, red to brown irises, and slaty black legs and feet.
Immature Plumage
Immature black nunbirds are sootier on their upperparts and browner on their underparts compared to adults.
Confirmed Distribution
The black nunbird is distributed from southern and eastern Venezuela, through the Guianas, into Brazil, where it occurs north of the Amazon River and east of the Rio Negro.
Unconfirmed Distribution Record
It may also be present in extreme eastern Colombia, but this occurrence has not been confirmed by the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC).
Habitat Types
This species inhabits humid terra firme, gallery, and várzea forests, and it is typically found at forest edges, near water, and in somewhat open landscapes.
Forest Level Occurrence
It can be observed at all forest levels, from the understory up to the canopy.
Elevational Range
Its elevational range extends from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
