Amazonian Motmot
Momotus momota
Medium-sized motmot. Green with orange underparts, black mask, and blue crown. Other motmots in its range have orange heads. Found in the under and midstory of a variety of forest habitats, including humid forest, semi-humid forest, and forest edge. It often sits quietly on exposed perches, wagging its tail from side to side. Listen for its song, a low “BOO-boop” with the emphasis on the first syllable; often heard around dawn and dusk.
Identification
The Amazonian motmot's plumage varies among the subspecies. The bodies of all are shades of green. All have a long tail that has extended feathers with racquet tips that are green or black. Most have a black eyemask, though their size and shape differ. The central crown is black and surrounded or partially bordered by a blue band. The nominate subspecies has a chestnut nape. Momotus momota ignobilis and M. m. cametensis have more extensive chestnut on the neck and face.
Taxonomy
The Amazonian motmot and the blue-capped (Momotus coeruleiceps), whooping (M. subrufrescens), Trinidad (M. bahamensis), Lesson's (M. lessonii), and Andean motmots (M. aequatorialis) were all at one time considered conspecific. The Amazonian motmot has nine recognized subspecies; they are listed in the "Distribution and habitat" section below.
- Scientific name
- Momotus momota
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Momotidae
- Genus
- Momotus
Range and habitat
The Amazonian motmot is widely distributed in South America east of the Andes. Nine subspecies are recognized:<p>Throughout its range the Amazonian motmot inhabits the interior and edges of humid lowland forest. It is found up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in Venezuela, to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Ecuador, and to 750 m (2,460 ft) in Peru.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Amazonian motmot is omnivorous. It has been documented eating insects and other arthropods, small mammals and reptiles, and fruit.<p>Like most Coraciiformes, the Amazonian motmot nests in long tunnels in earth banks. Very little else is known about its breeding phenology.<p>The Amazonian motmot's song has been described as "a fast, hollow hoo-do" and "a bubbling whOOP-oo"[1]. It also makes "a gruff kak", sometimes in a series.[2]
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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