Andean motmot

The Andean motmot or highland motmot (Momotus aequatorialis) is a colorful near-passerine bird found in the forests and woodlands from northern Colombia to western Bolivia. This bird can be also found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the west area of Costa Rica.

Andean motmot
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Momotidae
Genus: Momotus
Species:
M. aequatorialis
Binomial name
Momotus aequatorialis
Gould, 1858

Distribution

The Andean motmot is resident in the Andes from Colombia south to Bolivia. In Colombia, occurs in all three major cordilleras,[2][3] but in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia found only along the eastern side of the Andes.[4][5] The southernmost reported records are in the department of La Paz, northwestern Bolivia.

The elevational distribution is 1500–3100 m in Colombia,[3] 1000–2100 m in Ecuador,[4] 1000–2400 m in Peru[5] and 1600–1900 m in Bolivia.

Habitat

The Andean Motmot primarily occurs in humid montane forest, often near steams; it also occurs at forest edge and in second-growth forest.[5] These birds often sit still, and in their dense forest habitat can be difficult to see, despite their size.

Like most of the Coraciiformes, motmots nest in tunnels in banks, laying about three or four white eggs.

Appearance

The Andean Motmot is a typical motmot in general aspect: a large bird with a stout, black bill, and a long tail with a "racquet" tip. The body plumage over generally is green, with the distal portion of the upper surface of the tail blue. The center of the crown and a broad line ("mask") through the eye are black; there also is a broad blue line bordering the crown, which is light blue on the fore part of the head but that becomes dark blue across the rear of the crown. There also is a short black streak on the center of the breast.[6]

Similar Species

The Andean Motmot is the only species of motmot found in humid montane forests of the Andes, and so usually it is separated by elevation and habitat from other species of motmots. Otherwise it is closely similar to the Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota), but the Andean Motmot is larger; has purer green underparts, with very little or no tawny tones; has a blue vertical stripe or bar across the rear portion of the black "mask;" and the upper surface of the racquets usually are solid blue, with no green tones and with no black or dusky tip.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Momotus aequatorialis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22729189A95009151. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22729189A95009151.en.
  2. Austin, O. L.; Schauensee, R. Meyer de (1964). "The Birds of Colombia and Adjacent Areas of South and Central America". Bird-Banding. 35 (4): 290. doi:10.2307/4511124. ISSN 0006-3630. JSTOR 4511124.
  3. Hilty, S. L. & W. L. Brown (1986). A guide to the birds of Colombia. Princeton. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
  4. Rowlett, John (2003). "The Birds of Ecuador Robert S. Ridgely Paul J. Greenfield". The Auk. 120 (2): 562–568. doi:10.2307/4090213. ISSN 0004-8038. JSTOR 4090213.
  5. Thomas S. Schulenberg; et al. (2007). "Birds of Peru". The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 121 (1): 101. doi:10.22621/cfn.v121i1.407. ISSN 0008-3550.
  6. "Andean Motmot - Appearance - Neotropical Birds Online". neotropical.birds.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
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