The Trinidad motmot (''Momotus bahamensis'') 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 lightweig ...

endemic to the forests and woodlands of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. This species and the blue-capped motmot,

Lesson's motmot Lesson's motmot (''Momotus lessonii'') or the blue-diademed motmot, is a colorful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of southern Mexico to western Panama. This species and the blue-capped motmot, whooping motmot, Trinidad motmot, ...

whooping motmot The whooping motmot (''Momotus subrufescens'') is a colorful near-passerine bird in the family Momotidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The whooping motmot and the blue-capped (''Mo ...

, Amazonian motmot, and Andean motmot were all considered conspecific. Though found on both islands, this bird is more abundant in

Tobago Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...

than it is in

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 ...

. The central crown is black and surrounded by a blue band. There is a black eyemask. The call is a low owl-like ''ooo-doot''. These birds often sit still, and in their dense forest habitat can be difficult to see, despite their size. They eat small prey such as insects, spiders, earthworms, lizards, small snakes and fledgling birds,https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Momotus_bahamensis%20-%20Trinidad%20Motmot.pdf and will also regularly take fruit. They are known to eat small tree snails, and to use forest floor rocks as 'anvils' to crack open the hard shells of these prey items to access the soft edible bodies within. Like most of the

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) ...

, motmots nest in tunnels in banks, laying about three or four white eggs. The bird is shown on the front of the $5 bank note of Trinidad and Tobago.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3325206 Trinidad motmot Birds of Trinidad and Tobago Endemic fauna of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad motmot