Alternative name: Blue-diademed Motmot
- Momotus lessonii
Identification
38–43 cm (15-17 in)
Green upperparts, green or rufous underparts depending on subspecies (very variable how dark), black central spot on upper breast, blue crown, black eyemask sometimes edged pale at the back.
Tail is green with blue lower tail with two longest feathers showing an area missing barbs followed by an area with barbs (rackets); the tip of these feathers is black in some subspecies.
Notice that the tail feathers are normal when growing, the barbs fall off shortly after, and it is therefore possible to see a bird of this species that is missing rackets (feathers may also break below the rackets).
Juvenile has reduced black on upper breast.
Distribution
Southern Mexico to western half of Panama.
Taxonomy
There has been a recent split of a species known as Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota) into six species:
- Blue-capped Motmot (M. coeruliceps) -- from Mexico
- Lesson's Motmot (M. lessoni) -- from southern Mexico to western Panama
- Whooping Motmot (M. subrufescens) -- from around the Canal zone in Panama to northern Colombia and northern Venezuela as well as lowland western Ecuador, and Peru
- Trinidad Motmot (M. bahamensis) -- Trinidad and Tobago
- Amazonian Motmot (M. momota) -- Amazonian lowlands from Colombia, to The Guianas and south to Bolivia and Argentina
- Andean Motmot (M. aequatorialis) -- Highlands in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
Subspecies
Three subspecies accepted[1]:
- M. l. lessonii from tropical southern Mexico (Chiapas) to western Panama
- M. l. goldmani from tropical southeast Mexico (Veracruz) to Petén of northern Guatemala
- M. l. exiguus in tropical southern Mexico (Campeche and Yucatán)
Habitat
Habits near water, rivers, streams, and builds its nest in hollows excavated on banks. Likes to perch on branches in the shadow, inside forest, in hedgerows, or in scrub.
Behaviour
Breeding
The excavate a tunnel nest in a bank. The clutch contains 3-4 white eggs.
Diet
Their diet consists of nsects and other invertebrates, which include snails, centipedes and earthworms. They also eat small reptiles and mammals.
Vocalisation
Song: consists of a double hoot.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- F. Gary Stiles 2009. A REVIEW OF THE GENUS MOMOTUS (CORACIIFORMES: MOMOTIDAE) IN NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA AND ADJACENT AREAS. Ornitología Colombiana No.8 (2009): 29-75. Subject of Birdforum discussion here
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2019)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Lesson's Motmot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 February 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Lesson%27s_Motmot
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
