Rufous Motmot
Baryphthengus martii
The Rufous Motmot (Baryphthengus martii) is a uncommon motmot found in 9 countries, weighing about 165 g. The rufous motmot is a near-passerine bird in the family Momotidae.
About the Rufous Motmot
The rufous motmot is a near-passerine bird in the family Momotidae. It is found from northeastern Honduras south to western Ecuador, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The rufous motmot is the second-largest member of its family. The male of the nominate subspecies is 42 to 47 cm (17 to 19 in) long and weighs 146 to 160 g (5.1 to 5.6 oz). The female weighs 153 to 173 g (5.4 to 6.1 oz). Male and female B. m. semirufus weigh 185 to 193 g (6.5 to 6.8 oz) and 170 to 208 g (6.0 to 7.3 oz) respectively. Adults are mainly cinnamon-rufous, with a black face mask and central breast spot, green wings and sides, a greenish-blue lower belly, and dark blue tail and flight feathers. The tail is very long, and that of B. m. Voice: The rufous motmot's song has been described as "hoos, hoots, or hoops". It is sometimes answered by a low owl-like hoop hoop huhuhuhuhuhu. An agitation call is a dry chatter.
What the Rufous Motmot sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Rufous Motmot can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rufous Motmot?
- The rufous motmot is the second-largest member of its family. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rufous Motmot?
- The Rufous Motmot is a medium sized bird weighing about 165 g.
- Where can you see a Rufous Motmot?
- The Rufous Motmot occurs in 9 countries, including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Peru.
- What does a Rufous Motmot sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Rufous Motmot on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Rufous Motmot?
- The Rufous Motmot is most easily confused with the Rufous-capped Motmot.
- Is the Rufous Motmot endangered?
- The Rufous Motmot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rufous Motmot for real
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