Keel-billed Motmot

Overview

The keel-billed motmot (Electron carinatum) is a Vulnerable species of bird in the family Momotidae. It is the only member of its genus and is closely related to the broad-billed motmot, though the two may be conspecific.

Identification

• Adults possess a rufus forehead and a black 'mask' with a turquoise-blue arc above it on an otherwise green face.
• Underparts are mostly rufous in the northern range, becoming greenish to greenish cinnamon in the south, with a distinct black spot on the chest.
• The bill is long, very broad, and flattened side-to-side with a significant ridge on the culmen and serrated edges.
• Vocalisations include a loud, far-carrying, low-pitched, nasal 'cuaet cuaet cadack' or 'ohhng'.

Habitat

Found along the Caribbean side of Central America, its range extends intermittently from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua into northern Costa Rica. It inhabits humid evergreen forest, favouring steep-sided gullies with streams.

Diet

Foraging primarily occurs in the forest's mid-story, capturing prey in mid-air or from vegetation and the ground via sallies from a perch. While specific dietary details are not fully known, it is assumed to feed mostly on insects, with occasional other arthropods, small frogs, lizards, and snakes.

Did you know?

In some areas, the species nests in burrows within unexcavated Mayan structures, such as at one location in Belize.