The tody motmot is a species of near-passerine bird in the motmot family Momotidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Hylomanes. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Region
Mesoamerica and northern Colombia
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, with a disjunct presence in northern Colombia. Favors humid evergreen and foothill forests, especially shaded ravines, stream corridors, and steep slopes with dense understory. It also uses mature second growth and forest edges when cover remains intact. The species is local and patchy, typically where moist microhabitats and earthen banks are available for nesting.
Altitude Range
100–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The tody motmot is the only species in the genus Hylomanes and is the smallest motmot. Unlike many of its relatives, it lacks the long racket-tipped tail. It often sits motionless in dim forest understory, sallying out to snatch prey. Like other motmots, it nests in burrows it excavates in earthen banks.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within dense understory. Breeds by tunneling a horizontal nest burrow into an earthen bank, often along streams or trails. Pairs maintain small territories and can be quite secretive during nesting.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives soft, low hooting notes, often in spaced sequences from shaded perches. Calls may be a quiet series of whoop or pooh notes that carry in still forest. Vocalizations are subdued compared to larger motmots.
Plumage
Compact, small motmot with bright green upperparts and warm rufous to cinnamon underparts; lacks the racketed tail typical of larger motmots. Shows a dusky mask through the eye, with pale accents and bluish highlights on wings and tail. Feathers appear sleek and close-fitting, aiding its unobtrusive look in deep shade.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects and other arthropods, including beetles, orthopterans, and spiders. It often sallies from a low perch to snatch prey from foliage or the ground, and occasionally gleans quietly within thickets. Small lizards and berries may be taken opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dim understory of humid forest, especially along stream banks, ravines, and forested slopes. Often forages from low, shaded perches with good visibility into surrounding foliage.
