Turquoise-browed Motmot

About the Turquoise-browed Motmot

The turquoise-browed motmot is a colourful, medium-sized bird of the motmot family, Momotidae. It is the only species in Eumomota. It inhabits Central America from south-east Mexico, to Costa Rica, where it is common and not considered threatened. It lives in fairly open habitats such as forest edge, gallery forest and scrubland. It is more conspicuous than other motmots, often perching in the open on wires and fences. From these perches it scans for prey, such as insects and small reptiles. White eggs (3–6) are laid in a long tunnel nest in an earth bank or sometimes in a quarry or fresh-water well. Its name originates from the turquoise color of its brow. It is the national bird of both…

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Where the Turquoise-browed Motmot lives

When to see the Turquoise-browed Motmot

Peak activity in March · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Andean MotmotMomotus aequatorialisThe Andean motmot is in general typical of its family: It is a large bird with a stout black bill and a long tail with a "racquet" tip. Rufous MotmotBaryphthengus martiiThe rufous motmot is the second-largest member of its family. Broad-billed MotmotElectron platyrhynchumAt about 12 inches long, the broad-billed motmot is one of the smallest members of the family Momotidae.