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Amazonian Motmot | Momotus momota
Amazonemotmot | Momoto amazónico | Udu-de-coroa-azul
The Amazonian Motmot is the most widespread lowland motmot east of the Andes, from Amazonia to the dry forests of eastern Bolivia. It sits motionless and upright in the shade, swinging its long, racquet-tipped tail like a pendulum. It was formerly part of Blue-crowned Motmot, which has been split into several species.
Voice
A low, hollow, doubled call, like hoo-doo, sometimes single, mainly in the twilight before dawn; pairs often call alternately.
Recording: Fabrício Grigolin — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
38–43 cm, including the long tail with black-tipped racquets. The crown is black, surrounded by a blue band, turquoise at the front and more violet-blue at the rear; in birds from north-western Amazonia this band is narrower. A broad black mask is edged blue below. The upperparts are green. The underparts are olive-green to rufous-olive, more rufous in the south, with one or two black spots on the breast. The iris is red. The sexes are alike; juveniles are duller.
Confusion species
Andean Motmot Momotus aequatorialis is larger and greener below, with a broader blue crown band, and lives higher in the Andes. Whooping Motmot Momotus subrufescens lives west of the Andes. Rufous Motmot Baryphthengus martii and Broad-billed Motmot Electron platyrhynchum have an all-rufous head without a blue crown ring.
Habitat
Humid lowland forest, várzea forest, gallery forest, secondary forest, forest edges and plantations, in Bolivia also dry forest, from the lowlands up to about 1200 m. It sits still at mid-height for long periods and sallies for large insects, spiders, small lizards and other small animals, and also eats fruit. It nests in a long tunnel in an earth bank.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia east of the Andes, in Amazonia and on the edge of the llanos. In Ecuador in the eastern lowlands. In Peru in the Amazonian lowlands and the lowest foothills of the eastern slope. In Bolivia over most of the lowlands, including the dry forests of the east and south. Absent from the Galápagos. Outside the guide area in Venezuela, the Guianas, Amazonian Brazil, Paraguay and north-western Argentina.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
Along forest edges, clearings and in lodge gardens in the Amazonian lowlands, where the bird often sits still in the shade. In the early morning the hollow calls give away its position.
Conservation status
Least Concern. The species has a very large range and tolerates secondary forest and clearings with trees.
Scientific name
Momotus momota | (Linnaeus, 1766)
Linnaeus described the species in 1766 as Ramphastos momota; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Momotus was introduced in 1760 by Brisson. The genus name is a Latinisation of momot or motmot, a Mexican (Nahuatl) name for these birds. The species name momota comes from the same Mexican name momot as the genus Momotus. The specimen the first description was based on came from Cayenne, French Guiana.