Broad-billed motmot

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Broad-billed motmot
Broad-billed Motmot.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Momotidae
Genus: Electron
Species:
E. platyrhynchum
Binomial name
Electron platyrhynchum
(Leadbeater, 1829)
Electron platyrhynchum dist.png

The broad-billed motmot (Electron platyrhynchum) is a fairly common [2] Central and South American bird of the Momotidae family. [3] They are nonmigratory, sedentary birds [4] that are most frequently seen in singles or pairs. [3] There exist six subspecies of the broad-billed motmot. [3]

Contents

Description

showing racquet-shaped central tail feathers Broad-billed Motmot 2.jpg
showing racquet-shaped central tail feathers

At about 12 inches long, the broad-billed motmot is one of the smallest members of the family Momotidae. [5] These birds weigh 60 grams on average. [3] They have dark eyes and feet. Most of its upper body, including its head, neck and chest, is a cinnamon-rufous colour. There is a black patch on either side of its head that covers the cheeks and auricular area, as well as one on the centre of its chest. The lower half of its body is more greenish above and becomes more blueish below. The broad-billed motmot has a long tail that gradually changes from blue to black. It also has two racquet-shaped central feathers are much longer than the rest. [5] As its name suggests, the broad-billed motmot has a broad, flattened bill. Its bill is black, has serrated edges, [3] [5] and has a keel on the upper mandible. This species does not demonstrate sexual dimorphism, which means that both the male and female look alike. [5]

Juveniles of this species are duller and darker than the adults. They also have white on their bill and a blue-green streak over their eye. [3]

The broad-billed motmot looks nearly identical to the rufous motmot (Baryphthengus martii) but it has a few discerning characteristics. It is smaller and has a larger black patch compared to the rufous motmot, as well as a blue-green chin. [3]

Taxonomy

The broad-billed motmot is a part of the family Momotidae, in the order Coraciiformes. [4]

This species has six subspecies, three of which make up a distinctive group that some consider to be their own species. They are called the "plain-tailed motmots" and this is because they lack tail racquets. [3]

Subspecies nameDistribution
Broad-billed motmot (broad-billed)

platyhynchum Group

Electron platyrhynchum minusEastern Honduras to Eastern Panama.
Electron platyrhynchum platyrhynchumWest of the Andes from Northwest Colombia to Southwest Ecuador.
Electron platyrhynchum colombianumNorthern Colombia lowlands to Boyacá following the Magdalena River.
Broad-billed motmot (plain-tailed)

pyrrholaemum Group

Electron platyrhynchum pyrrholaemumEast of the Andes from South-Central Colombia to Eastern Ecuador, as well as Peru and Bolivia.
Electron platyrhynchum orienticolaUpper Amazonian Brazil.
Electron platyrhynchum chlorophrysCentral Brazil, South of the Amazon.

[3]

Habitat and distribution

Its range encompasses the eastern side of Central America from Honduras to Panama, and it extends into many countries in north-western South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. [3]

This bird resides in humid forests, warm lowlands and foothills, [3] and is found at elevations below 3,000 ft (910 m). [5]

Behaviour

Vocalizations

The family Momotidae is small, but they have a wide variety of sounds. [5] The broad-billed motmot's most utilized vocalization is its song, which they most often give at dawn. It is described as a nasal "cwaah" sound and it is generally repeated at long intervals, but it is sometimes done as a shorter and faster sequence, or as a duet. Their call, which is heard less commonly, is a quiet string of "tuk" sounds that occasionally develops into a rattle. [3]

Diet

The broad-billed motmot is considered to be primarily insectivorous. [6] Their diet is made up in large part by insects and their larvae. [3] [5] [6] However, they also feed on spiders, centipedes, scorpions, [3] as well as some small vertebrates such as snakes, frogs, and lizards. [3] [5] [6] When they are in season and abundant, this bird will predominantly eat cicadas. [5] Unlike other species of the Momotidae family, broad-billed motmots do not consume fruits. [6]

This bird species hunts in a way that saves energy, by examining their surroundings until they spot a prey of interest. [5] They then perform a hunting method called a "sally-strike" to snatch their prey, before returning to their perch to feed. [6]

Reproduction

In Costa Rica, the broad-billed motmot lays its eggs between February and May. On average, this species has a clutch size of 2 or 3 eggs. These socially monogamous birds [7] nest in an earth-bank burrow and both parents take turns incubating the eggs, [3] [7] though the females often have longer shifts. [3] It is not known exactly for how long broad-billed motmot eggs are incubated. [3] The birds hatch both naked and blind, and parents also share the responsibility of feeding their young. [5]

Conservation status

The broad-billed motmot is considered to be a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List of 2016. [2] It is common within its range, but populations are being negatively affected by deforestation. [3]

Related Research Articles

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The motmots or Momotidae are a family of birds in the order coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. All extant motmots are restricted to woodland or forests in the Neotropics, and the largest are in Central America. They have a colourful plumage and a relatively heavy bill. All except the tody motmot have relatively long tails that in some species have a distinctive racket-like tip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potoo</span> Family of nocturnal birds of tropical Central and South America

Potoos are a group of birds related to the nightjars and frogmouths. They are sometimes called poor-me-ones, after their haunting calls. The family Nyctibiidae was formerly included with the nightjars in the order Caprimulgiformes but is now placed in a separate order, Nyctibiiformes. There are seven species in two genera in tropical Central and South America. Fossil evidence indicates that they also inhabited Europe during the Paleogene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solitary sandpiper</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common greenshank</span> Species of bird

The common greenshank is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific nebularia is from Latin nebula "mist". Like the Norwegian Skoddefoll, this refers to the greenshank's damp marshy habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-black grassquit</span> Species of bird

The blue-black grassquit is a small Neotropical bird in the tanager family, Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Volatinia. It is a common and widespread bird that breeds from southern Mexico through Central America, and South America as far as northern Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay, and in Trinidad and Tobago. A male was also observed in Graham County, Arizona on July 15 and July 17, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiny cowbird</span> Species of bird

The shiny cowbird is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in most of South America except for dense forests and areas of high altitude such as mountains. Since 1900 the shiny cowbird's range has shifted northward, and it was recorded in the Caribbean islands as well as the United States, where it is found breeding in southern Florida. It is a bird associated with open habitats, including disturbed land from agriculture and deforestation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican tody</span> Species of bird

The Jamaican tody is a species of bird in the genus Todus endemic to Jamaica. Local names for the Jamaican tody include rasta bird, robin and robin redbreast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turquoise-browed motmot</span> Species of bird

The turquoise-browed motmot is a colourful, medium-sized bird of the motmot family, Momotidae. 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 El Salvador and Nicaragua, where it is known as torogoz and guardabarranco respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous motmot</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise riflebird</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-bellied thrush</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yucatan poorwill</span> Species of bird

The Yucatan poorwill is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is found in the Yucatán Peninsula of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-capped motmot</span> Species of bird

The rufous-capped motmot is a species of bird in the family Momotidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keel-billed motmot</span> Species of bird

The keel-billed motmot is a species of bird in the motmot family Momotidae. It is very closely related to the broad-billed motmot, and the two may be the same species. The two are similar sizes and shapes, and have been reported to have similar calls, but they do have different plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russet-crowned motmot</span> Species of bird

The russet-crowned motmot is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala. It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned motmot is the most understudied species of motmot in the family Momotidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henna-hooded foliage-gleaner</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peruvian treehunter</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocó trogon</span> Species of bird

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References

  1. BirdLife International (2020). "Electron platyrhynchum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T22682986A163629547. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22682986A163629547.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2016-10-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Electron platyrhynchum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Snow, David; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020-03-04), Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.), "Broad-billed Motmot (Electron platyrhynchum)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.brbmot1.01, S2CID   225985856 , retrieved 2020-10-12
  4. 1 2 Becker, Jonathan J. (November 1986). "A Fossil Motmot (Aves: Momotidae) from the Late Miocene of Florida". The Condor. 88 (4): 478–482. doi:10.2307/1368274. ISSN   0010-5422. JSTOR   1368274.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Skutch, Alexander F. (1971). "Life History of the Broad-Billed Motmot, with Notes on the Rufous Motmot". The Wilson Bulletin. 83 (1): 74–94. ISSN   0043-5643. JSTOR   4160044.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Remsen, J. V.; Hyde, Mary Ann; Chapman, Angela (February 1993). "The Diets of Neotropical Trogons, Motmots, Barbets and Toucans". The Condor. 95 (1): 178–192. doi:10.2307/1369399. ISSN   0010-5422. JSTOR   1369399.
  7. 1 2 Murphy, Troy G.; Rohwer, Vanya G.; Scholes, Edwin (2010). "Breeding biology and longevity of Russet-crowned Motmots in central Mexico". Journal of Field Ornithology. 81 (1): 13–16. doi: 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00255.x . ISSN   1557-9263.