Whooping Motmot
Momotus subrufescens
Large motmot of lowland forest and edges from eastern Panama to northwestern South America. Green above and warm rufous below, with a black mask bordered by a dazzling cerulean crown. The crown is not solidly blue, but instead has a circular black patch in the middle as if it’s wearing a yarmulke. Like most other motmots, has conspicuous tail racquets. In typical motmot fashion, perches quietly for long periods of time anywhere from the understory to the canopy, occasionally flicking its tail side to side. Gives a low single “whoop” call.
Identification
The whooping motmot's back and wings are olive-green and the underparts dull brown. It has a long, green to blue, tail that has extended feathers with racquet tips that are blue tipped with black. Its crown is black surrounded by a blue band, and it has a black eyemask bordered with turquoise. Twenty-seven specimens of the nominate whooping motmot weighed 75 to 124 g (2.6 to 4.4 oz).
Taxonomy
The whooping motmot and the blue-capped (Momotus coeruleiceps), Trinidad (M. bahamensis), Amazonian (M. momota), Lesson's (M. lessonii), and Andean motmots (M. aequatorialis) were at one time all considered conspecific. They were split following a 2009 publication which detailed their differences. The whooping motmot has four recognized subspecies, the nominate Momotus subrufescens subrufescens, M. s. spatha, M. s. osgoodi, and M. s. agenticinctus.
- Scientific name
- Momotus subrufescens
- Authority
- Sclater, PL, 1853
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Momotidae
- Genus
- Momotus
Range and habitat
The whooping motmot has two disjunct populations. The nominate subspecies is found from eastern Panama to northern and western Colombia. M. s. spatha is only on the Guajira Peninsula of northern Colombia. M. s. osgoodi is found from eastern Colombia into northwestern Venezuela. M. s. agenticinctus is separate; it is found in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The whooping motmot inhabits several forest types including lowland evergreen and deciduos primary forests, forest edges, and secondary forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Not much is known about the whooping motmot's diet. It probably mostly eats large arthropods but is also reported to eat berries and lizards.<p>Like most Coraciiformes, the whooping motmot nests in long tunnels in earth banks.<p>The whooping motmot's song has been described as "whoooop" and a shorter "whoop" [1].
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Scarlet Macaw
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Spectacular, huge, and long-tailed parrot, wiped out from most areas by capture for the pet trade; attempts at reintroduction are taking place in some protected areas. Found very locally in lowland rainforest and adjacent semiopen areas with big trees; usually in pairs. Unmistakable, bright scarlet red overall with big yellow wing patches and mostly blue wings and rump. Calls are deep, throaty roars that carry long distances.
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Glossy large-billed drongo with glossy blue-sheened wings and tail. Also note bright red eyes, iridescent speckling around the throat and neck, and flared broad-tipped tail. Endemic to Sumatra, where it is the only regularly-occurring “Hair-crested type” drongo, a group which has undergone extensive taxonomic changes recently; some older field guides may refer to this taxa as either Hair-crested or Spangled Drongo. Inhabits foothill forests, where it often associates with mixed flocks in the upper and middle levels of forest. Can be a source of confusion with other drongos, such as Black, Lesser Racket-tailed, Bronzed, and Crow-billed, but note habitat, distinctive tail shape, and flat-headed profile. Gives a variety of vocalizations, including bright fluty whistles and harsh chattering.
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