- Electron platyrhynchum
Identification
Length 33cm (13.5"). Rufous head and chest with black mask that tapers to a point in the rear. Turquoise belly and crissum. Back is green, with blue wing edges and lower tail. The tail is long, with a racket tip (created by the bird by plucking) on the west slope of the Andes; no racket on east side. Narrow black tip. Central black chest spot. As indicated by the popular English name, the bill is broad, black, and curved downward.
Similar Species
Would be unmistakable, except for confusion with the similar Rufous Motmot. The latter is considerably larger, has a broader mask, narrower bill, and most diagnostic, rufous plumage that extends to the lower belly.
Distribution
Northern half of South America north through Central America to Honduras.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Six subspecies are recognized:
- E. p. minus:
- E. p. platyrhynchum:
- E. p. colombianum : Northern Colombia (humid lowlands north of the Andes)
Plain-tailed
- E. p. pyrrholaemum':
- E. p. orienticola:
- Western Brazil (Río Purús region)
- E. p. chlorophrys:
- Brazil (Mato Grosso, Pará and Goiás)
Habitat
Lower and middle levels in humid forest and forest borders.
Behaviour
Sallies from a perch, to capture large insects from surfaces (not in mid-air, flycatcher style). Perches patiently, often in an exposed situation. Individual or in pairs.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Broad-billed Motmot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Broad-billed_Motmot
