The Amazonian motmot is a colorful near-passerine bird in the family Momotidae. It is found in the Amazon lowlands and low Andean foothills from eastern Venezuela to eastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina.
Region
Amazon Basin and the Guianas
Typical Environment
Occurs widely through lowland tropical forests of the Amazon Basin, including northern Bolivia, eastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, the Guianas, and much of northern and central Brazil. It favors humid evergreen forest, terra firme and várzea, as well as gallery forests and older secondary growth. Frequently seen along forest edges, streams, and trails where visibility is better. It is typically a resident, sedentary bird throughout its range.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Amazonian motmot is noted for its long tail with racket-shaped tips, formed when barbs near the end of the tail shaft are lost or preened off. It often sits motionless in the forest understory, making short sallies to catch prey and sometimes wagging its tail like a pendulum. Pairs excavate nesting burrows in earthen banks or flat ground, often several feet long.
Close-up view of the head
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining territories year-round. Breeding pairs tunnel nest burrows into earthen banks or flat ground, both sexes excavating and sharing incubation and chick rearing. They spend long periods perched quietly in the midstory or understory, making short sallies to capture prey.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives deep, resonant whoop or hoo-doot notes, often in slow, spaced sequences. Calls carry well through dense forest and are most frequent at dawn and dusk. Vocalizations are simple but far-carrying and can sound owl-like.
