Galbuli is one of the two suborders of the order Piciformes and includes two families Bucconidae (puffbirds) and Galbulidae (jacamars). The other suborder Pici is a global group of piciforms, puffbirds and jacamars are only found in the Neotropics.
It was thought the jacamars and puffbirds were not closely related to toucans and woodpeckers, but instead related to the order Coraciiformes. However, analysis of nuclear DNA in a 2003 study placed them as sister group to Pici, also showing that the groups had developed zygodactyl feet (two toes facing forward and two aft) before separating. Per Ericson and colleagues, in analysing genomic DNA, confirmed that puffbirds and jacamars were sister groups and their place in Piciformes. The lineage is sometimes elevated to order level as Galbuliformes, first proposed by Sibley and Ahlquist in 1990.
The following arrangement of taxa is based on Witt (2004).
Suborder GalbuliFamily BucconidaeGenus NonnulaRusty-breasted nunlet, Nonnula rubeculaRufous-capped nunlet, Nonnula ruficapillaChestnut-headed nunlet, Nonnula amaurocephalaGrey-cheeked nunlet, Nonnula frontalisFulvous-chinned nunlet, Nonnula sclateriBrown nunlet, Nonnula brunneaGenus MalacoptilaWhite-chested puffbird, Malacoptila fuscaSemicollared puffbird, Malacoptila semicinctaCrescent-chested puffbird, Malacoptila striataBlack-streaked puffbird, Malacoptila fulvogularisRufous-necked puffbird, Malacoptila rufaWhite-whiskered puffbird, Malacoptila panamensisMoustached puffbird, Malacoptila mystacalisGenus BuccoCollared puffbird, Bucco capensisGenus NystalusSpot-backed puffbird, Nystalus maculatusBarred puffbird, Nystalus radiatusStriolated puffbird, Nystalus striolatusWhite-eared puffbird, Nystalus chacuruGenus ChelidopteraSwallow-winged puffbird, Chelidoptera tenebrosaGenus MonasaWhite-fronted nunbird, Monasa morphoeusYellow-billed nunbird, Monasa flavirostrisBlack-fronted nunbird, Monasa nigrifronsBlack nunbird, Monasa atraGenus HapaloptilaWhite-faced nunbird, Hapaloptila castaneaGenus MicromonachaLanceolated monklet, Micromonacha lanceolataGenus CyphosChestnut-capped puffbird, Cyphos macrodactylusGenus HypnelusRusset-throated puffbird, Hypnelus ruficollisGenus NystactesSpotted puffbird, Nystactes tamatiaSooty-capped puffbird, Nystactes noanamaeGenus NotharchusBrown-banded puffbird, Notharchus ordiiPied puffbird, Notharchus tectusBlack-breasted puffbird, Notharchus pectoralisWhite-necked puffbird, Notharchus hyperrynchusGuianan puffbird, Notharchus macrorhynchosBuff-bellied puffbird, Notharchus swainsoniFamily GalbulidaeGenus: JacamaralcyonThree-toed jacamar, Jacamaralcyon tridactylaGenus BrachygalbaDusky-backed jacamar, Brachygalba salmoniPale-headed jacamar, Brachygalba goeringiBrown jacamar, Brachygalba lugubrisWhite-throated jacamar, Brachygalba albogularisGenus JacameropsGreat jacamar, Jacamerops aureusGenus GalbalcyrhynchusWhite-eared jacamar, Galbalcyrhynchus leucotisPurus jacamar, Galbalcyrhynchus purusianusGenus GalbulaYellow-billed jacamar, Galbula albirostrisBlue-necked jacamar, Galbula cyanicollisRufous-tailed jacamar, Galbula ruficaudaCoppery-chested jacamar, Galbula pastazaeGreen-tailed jacamar, Galbula galbulaWhite-chinned jacamar, Galbula tombaceaBluish-fronted jacamar, Galbula cyanescensPurplish jacamar, Galbula chalcothoraxBronzy jacamar, Galbula leucogastraParadise jacamar, Galbula dea
