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Digital Tobago |
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Digital Photography |
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By Bob Brent |
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I Home I Digital Photography I Wildlife I About/Contact I Site Map I |
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AVIFAUNA INDEX : |
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Avifauna A - Z :Blue - crowned Motmot |
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Order : Coraciiformes |
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Family : Motmots (Momotidae) |
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Name : Blue - crowned Motmot (Motmotus momota) |
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From the 192 species of Kingfishers, Todies, Motmots, Bee-eaters and others that make up the order Coraciiformes, only the Kingfishers are found in both the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. The New world accounts for about 10 species of Motmots, 6 Species of Kingfishers and about 3 species of Todies. All Coraciiformes regularly perch in trees, though the diets range from vertebrates and invertebrates to fruit and berries. |
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Mainly found in Central and South America, Motmots range between 17 - 50 cm ( 6½ - 20 in ) in some species the two central tail feathers are elongated and become racket-tipped. Motmots are mostly brownish green often with touches of bright blue on the head or wings. The nest is usually a burrow dug with their bill in sand banks, and results in a higher degree of tick infestation than for tree nesting birds. Motmots take flying insects on the wing, or search among branches and the forest floor for a variety of small vertebrates and invertebrates. |
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Length : 45 cm ( 18 in ) |
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Local Names : King of the Woods |
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The Blue-crowned Motmot has green upperparts, rufus underparts, and black head and cap encircled with bright blue. It’s tail is grey underneath and green with a graduating blue tip, the racket-tips being blue. Both sexes are similar. It is a solitary bird of woodland and forest, though it may be seen perched by a quiet roadside. The Blue-crowned Motmot flies in small undulations around it’s territory taking flying insects on the wing, or searching through thick vegetation for small reptiles and fruit, often alighting on the forest floor to catch an insect. It’s call is a deep soft ‘whoop’ or double ‘whoop, whoop’ most likely to be heard during late afternoons as it journeys around in search of a mate. |
