The Amazonian motmot (''Momotus momota'') is a colorful
near-passerine
Near passerines and higher land-bird assemblage are terms of traditional, pre-cladistic taxonomy that have often been given to tree-dwelling birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines (order Passeriformes) owing to mor ...
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
in the family
Momotidae. It is found in the
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
lowlands and low
Andean
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...
foothills from eastern Venezuela to eastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina.
Taxonomy and systematics
The Amazonian motmot and the
blue-capped (''Momotus coeruleiceps''),
whooping (''M. subrufrescens''),
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
(''M. bahamensis''),
Lesson's (''M. lessonii''), and
Andean motmots (''M. aequatorialis'') were all at one time considered conspecific.
[Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 19 January 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved January 19, 2021][Orzechowski, S. C. and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Amazonian Motmot (''Momotus momota''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bucmot4.01 retrieved May 5, 2021] The Amazonian motmot has nine recognized subspecies; they are listed in the "Distribution and habitat" section below.
[
]
Description
left, Close-up view of the head
The Amazonian motmot's plumage varies among the subspecies. The bodies of all are shades of green. All have a long tail that has extended feathers with racquet tips that are green or black. Most have a black eyemask, though their size and shape differ. The central crown is black and surrounded or partially bordered by a blue band. The nominate subspecies has a chestnut nape. ''Momotus momota ignobilis'' and ''M. m. cametensis'' have more extensive chestnut on the neck and face.[
]
Distribution and habitat
The Amazonian motmot is widely distributed in South America east of the Andes. Nine subspecies are recognized:[
*''Momotus momota momota'' — eastern ]Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
, Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...
, and northern Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
*''M. m. microstephanus'' — southeastern Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, eastern Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, and northwestern Brazil
*''M. m. ignobilis'' — eastern Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
and western Brazil
*''M. m. nattereri'' — northeastern Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
*''M. m. simplex'' — western to west central Brazil south of the Amazon
*''M. m. cametensis'' — north central Brazil
*''M. m. parensis'' — northeastern Brazil
*''M. m. marcgravianus'' — eastern Brazil
*''M. m. pilcomajensis'' — southern Bolivia, southern Brazil, and northwestern Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
Throughout its range the Amazonian motmot inhabits the interior and edges of humid lowland forest. It is found up to in Venezuela, to in Ecuador, and to in Peru.[
]
Behavior
Feeding
The Amazonian motmot is omnivorous. It has been documented eating insects and other arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
s, small mammals and reptiles, and fruit.[
]
Breeding
Like most Coraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...
, the Amazonian motmot nests in long tunnels in earth banks. Very little else is known about its breeding phenology
Phenology is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles and how these are influenced by seasonality, seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as environmental factor, habitat factors (such as elevation).
Examples includ ...
.[
]
Vocalization
The Amazonian motmot's song has been described as "a fast, hollow ''hoo-do''" and "a bubbling ''whOOP-oo'
It also makes "a gruff ''kak''", sometimes in a serie
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References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q904932
Momotus, Amazonian motmot
Birds of the Amazon Basin
Birds of the Guianas
Amazonian motmot
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
