Imagine a bird with a crown that isn’t just solid blue, but rather boasts a unique circular black patch in the middle, resembling the appearance of a bird donning a yarmulke or a skullcap.
Meet the whooping motmot (Momotus subrufescens), a vibrant near-passerine bird belonging to the Momotidae family. Its appearance is characterized by olive-green back and wings, complemented by dull brown underparts. However, its defining feature lies in its long, green-to-blue tail adorned with extended feathers that have racket-like tips, each tipped with a captivating blue hue edged in black.
The bird’s crown is a striking combination of black and blue, with a black eyemask bordered by a turquoise hue.
Adult individuals of the nominate subspecies weigh between 75 to…
This extraordinary bird can be found across several South American countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
In terms of distribution, the whooping motmot has two distinct populations. The nominate subspecies is found from eastern Panama to northern and western Colombia. Meanwhile, M. s. spathae inhabits the Guajira Peninsula of northern Colombia. Another subspecies, M. s. osgoodi, is present from eastern Colombia into northwestern Venezuela. Lastly, M. s. argenticinctus is found in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru.
The whooping motmot thrives in diverse forest types, including lowland evergreen and deciduous primary forests, forest edges, and secondary forests.
As for its habits and lifestyle, the whooping motmot is a terrestrial species and is not known to be a migrant. Its diet primarily consists of large arthropods, although it has also been reported to consume berries and lizards.
Similar to many members of the Coraciiformes family, motmots are known for nesting in tunnels or burrows that they excavate on banks or cliffs. They lay a clutch of approximately three to four white eggs in their nesting chambers. The nesting behavior of motmots is fascinating, and their choice of nesting sites provides protection and security for their eggs and young.
Currently, the population trend of the whooping motmot is stable, and it holds a status of “Least Concern” according to the IUCN’s assessment.
