Rufous motmot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rufous motmot |
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Baryphthengus
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martii
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The rufous motmot (Baryphthengus martii) is a colorful bird found in the Momotidae family. It lives in warm, wet forests from Honduras in Central America all the way south to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil in South America. These birds are known for their long tails and bright feathers.
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What is a Rufous Motmot?
The rufous motmot is one of two types of birds in its group, called a genus. The other is the rufous-capped motmot. Scientists sometimes thought these two birds were the same species.
There are two main kinds, or subspecies, of the rufous motmot. These are Baryphthengus martii martii and B. m. semirufus. Long ago, one of these was even thought to be in its own special group. The name martii honors a German plant expert and explorer named Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
What Does a Rufous Motmot Look Like?
The rufous motmot is the second-biggest bird in its family. It can be about 42 to 47 centimeters (17 to 19 inches) long. Males weigh around 146 to 160 grams (5.1 to 5.6 ounces). Females are a bit heavier, weighing 153 to 173 grams (5.4 to 6.1 ounces).
These birds are mostly a reddish-brown color, like cinnamon. They have a black mask around their eyes and a black spot on their chest. Their wings and sides are green. The lower part of their belly is a pretty greenish-blue. Their long tails and flight feathers are dark blue.
One cool thing about some rufous motmots is their tail. The B. m. semirufus subspecies has a special "racket tip" on its tail. This means the end of the tail feather has a bare stem with a small feather part at the very end, looking like a tiny racket. Young motmots are lighter in color and do not have these tail rackets or the black chest spot.
Where Do Rufous Motmots Live?
The two subspecies of rufous motmot live in different areas. The B. m. martii subspecies lives in the western Amazon Basin. This includes parts of southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil.
The B. m. semirufus subspecies lives separately. You can find it from eastern Honduras through the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. It also lives on the Pacific coast of Panama, northwestern Colombia, and western Ecuador.
These birds live from sea level up to about 1,250 meters (4,100 feet) high in Costa Rica. In Panama and Ecuador, they can be found up to 1,400 meters (4,600 feet). In Peru, they sometimes live as high as 1,600 meters (5,200 feet).
Rufous motmots like humid, wet forests. They prefer tall, old forests, especially near rivers and streams. They tend to avoid places with very thick plants.
Rufous Motmot Behavior
What Do Rufous Motmots Eat?
The rufous motmot eats both plants and animals. This means it is an omnivorous bird. They have been seen eating many kinds of fruit. They also eat adult insects and their young, spiders, and even small fish, lizards, and frogs.
Rufous Motmot Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists do not know much about how rufous motmots raise their young. Like other motmots, they probably dig deep burrows in dirt banks to make their nests. We do not have details about how many eggs they lay or what their eggs look like.
What Sounds Do Rufous Motmots Make?
The rufous motmot's song sounds like "hoos", "hoots", or "hoops" [1]. Sometimes, another motmot will answer with a low, owl-like "hoop hoop huhuhuhuhuhu" [2]. When they are upset, they make a dry, chattering sound [3].
How Are Rufous Motmots Doing?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the rufous motmot. They have decided that this bird is of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
Images for kids
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Canopy Lodge - El Valle, Panama (flash photo)
