Tody Motmot

Hylomanes momotula

Motmots · Coraciiformes · Rare

The Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula) is a rare motmot found in 9 countries, weighing about 29 g. The tody motmot is a species of near-passerine bird in the motmot family Momotidae.

Least ConcernRareEats invertebratesforestcavity nest29 g

About the Tody Motmot

The tody motmot is a species of near-passerine bird in the motmot family Momotidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Hylomanes. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The tody motmot is 16.5 to 18.0 cm (6.5 to 7.1 in) long. Males weigh 27 to 33 g (0.95 to 1.16 oz) and females 25 to 30 g (0.88 to 1.06 oz). It is by far the smallest motmot, and named because it resembles the closely related todies (family Todidae) of the Caribbean. The nominate subspecies has a green crown, a rufous neck, and a green back and rump. It has a blue supercilium and a black mask with a white stripe below it. It has a white throat, a greenish breast with light streaks, and a white belly. The other two subspecies are similar but darker, and M. m. Voice: One of the tody motmot's vocalizations is a "resonant, far-carrying, gruff-sounding 'kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa...' or 'quah quah quah quah...'" . Another is " loud, penetrating, hollow 'whoop!' notes" .

Where it lives

When to see it

The Tody Motmot can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Tody Motmot?
The tody motmot is 16.5 to 18.0 cm (6.5 to 7.1 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Tody Motmot?
The Tody Motmot is a small sized bird weighing about 29 g.
Where can you see a Tody Motmot?
The Tody Motmot occurs in 9 countries, including Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico.
What birds look similar to a Tody Motmot?
The Tody Motmot is most easily confused with the Rufous-capped Motmot, the Blue-throated Motmot and the Russet-crowned Motmot.
Is the Tody Motmot endangered?
The Tody Motmot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Tody Motmot for real

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