The blue-throated motmot is a species of bird in the family Momotidae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
Region
Central American Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and cloud forests from southern Mexico (Chiapas) through Guatemala and western Honduras to El Salvador. Prefers mature evergreen and mixed oak–pine forests with dense understory and shaded ravines. It also uses well-wooded edges, forest clearings, and shade coffee plantations adjacent to intact forest. The species tends to remain within forest interiors or along quiet trails and steep banks.
Altitude Range
1000–2500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A highland member of the motmot family, the blue-throated motmot is notable for its vivid blue throat patch bordered in black. Unlike many motmots, it typically lacks the pronounced racket-tipped tail, having a more straightforward, graduated tail. It spends long periods perched quietly in the understory, sallying out to snatch prey. Habitat loss in montane forests is the main concern for this species.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen alone or in pairs, perching quietly in the mid to lower forest strata. Nests are typically burrows excavated into earthen banks or steep slopes; both sexes participate in excavation and care. Courtship often includes soft calling and perched displays.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives low, resonant hoots and mellow whoop notes that carry through the forest, often at dawn and dusk. Calls are spaced and deliberate, sometimes delivered in short series from a concealed perch.
Plumage
Mostly green upperparts with warm rufous to olive-brown underparts, a distinct black facial mask, and a bright blue throat bordered by black. Tail is long and graduated, typically without the exaggerated racket tips seen in many motmots.
Diet
Primarily consumes large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps, supplemented by spiders and other arthropods. Occasionally takes small vertebrates like lizards or small frogs. Also eats assorted forest fruits and berries, especially when insect prey is less abundant.
Preferred Environment
Forages from shaded perches in the understory or along forest edges, making short sallies to the ground or foliage. Often hunts along trails, ravines, and clearings where visibility is better.
