Keel-billed Motmot

Scientific Name: Electron carinatum

Population Estimate: 2.5-10K, Vulnerable status

Range / Habitat: Tropical lowland and montane moist forest in a small number of localities on the Caribbean slope of south Mexico, south Belize, Guatemala, north and central Honduras, north-central Nicaragua, and north-central Costa Rica

Field Notes: Small olive-coloured motmot, rather dull for the species except for turquoise brow and tuft below bill. As with all motmots, nests in holes in the ground.

Personal Notes: Seen at Arenal Hanging Gardens.

Broad-billed Motmot

Scientific Name: Electron platyrhynchum

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Found in tropical lowland moist forest in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

Field Notes: Large motmot with rufous head and neck. Black face mask and central chest spots. Green / turquoise chest, wings and tail. Turquoise tuft below bill. Rufous Motmot larger with extensive rufous on belly.

Personal Notes: Seen at Arenal Hanging Bridges

Rufous Motmot

Scientific Name: Baryphthengus martii

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Found in tropical lowland moist forest from from Central America down through southwestern Brazil.

Field Notes: Large motmot with rufous head, neck, chest. Black face mask and central chest spot. Green wings and tail. Broad-billed Motmot smaller with rufous restricted to head and neck and turquoise tuft below bill.

Personal Notes: Seen at Arenal Hanging Bridges

Turquiose-browed Motmot

Scientific Name: Eumomota superciliosa

Order: Coraciiformes

Population Estimate: 50K to 500K

Location of Sighting: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Date of Sighting: December, 2009

Notes: What a wonderful bird to spot in the trees (both in Atchun Chen, MX and on the road between Monteverde and the Pacific Coast of CR)! This motmot is much less common than the Blue-Crowned Motmot. In addition, the Turquoise-browed Motmot is small, has long bare tail shafts, and black throat marking.

Blue-diademed Motmot

Scientific Name: Momotus momota

Population Estimate: 5M-50M

Range / Habitat: From southeastern Mexico, through Central America, into Argentina in South America. Favors subtropical and tropical lowland and montane moist forests.

Field Notes: Unique and dramatic-looking bird with vibrant plumage and racket-tipped tail (best seen in bottom photo). They nest in cave and limestone crevices. Will often sit quietly for long periods in the forest so can be difficult to locate. Turquoise-browed Motmot with long bare tail shafts, bright turquoise brow, rufous back, lack of black throat patch. Keel-billed Motmot with brighter turquoise brow, rufous forehead, larger black chest spot.

Personal Notes: One of our favorite neotropical birds. Mayan lore has it that leaf-cutter ants removed a portion of the motmot's tail when it fell asleep in their path.