ANIMAL:Amazonian Motmot Momotus momota
Type of Animal:
Motmot
Habitat:
Forests, forest edge, light secondary woodland patches, wooded ravines, thickets, hedgerows, shady gardens, shaded coffee farms, plantations, pastureland, rural gardens
Location(s):
E Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana Shield, Brazil, Bolivia, N Paraguay, E Ecuador, E Peru, N Argentina
Appearance:
Blue/turquoise crown w/ central black crown, black eyemask, chestnut nape, long racket-like blue-green tail (bluer at tip), curved short beak serrated along upper edge, green back, red eye, black around eyes, orangish belly
Food/Diet:
Insects, insect larvae, spiders, gastropods, worms, millipedes, woodlice, small reptiles, fruit, frogs, small rodents, birds, centipedes, berries, plant reproductive parts
Status in Wild:
Stable
Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & aviculture
Lifestyle:
Monogamous pairs or solitary
Additional Info:Called:
Male: Cock
Female: Hen
Young: Chick
Group: Pair
Weight:
6 oz
Gestation:
3 weeks
Life Span:
20 years
Height:
1.3 ft
Body Length:
1.3 ft
Tail Length:
4 in
Main predators of adults are felids, raptors, snakes, & crocodilians. Small mammals & jays eat chicks.
Most active at twilight.
Often heard at dawn emitting low owl-like ‘ooo-doot’ call.
During breeding season, male performs courtship dance to attract female.
Nest in tunnels in banks & other difficult to discover places. Usually excavated when soil is soft. Nesting tunnel excavation can take as long as 2.5 months to complete, w/ most digging/nest work being done from late morning to late afternoon. Excavation results in 5-14 ft long winding burrow 3-4 in in diameter & 10 in high, 10 in wide, 14 in long terminal nesting chamber. Birds use same nest sites year after year & often only during breeding/nesting.
Heavy set, serrated bill used to brush away leaf litter & probe into earth.
Larger prey often bashed against tree branch/rock to tenderize it. After pulverizing, food swallowed whole.
Chicks leave parents at 2-4 months old but become sexually mature at 10 months.
Pairs typically rear 2-4 chicks per clutch, 1-3 clutches a year.
Both parents incubate eggs.
Fast fliers, flying for short distances, darting from tree to tree.
Fun Fact(s):
Sometimes hop in pursuit of prey.
Males have been seen carrying inedible objects to court females.
Birds actually prune down racket-like feathers to make tail that shape.
“Motmot” is American-Spanish word imitating calls made by these birds.
Very short feet w/ 1 rear toe & middle toe almost fused to inner one.
Often called “clock birds” due to habit of swinging tail side to side.
