Aspatha gularis
The Blue-throated Motmot (Aspatha gularis) is a captivating resident of Central America's humid montane cloud forests, immediately recognizable by its vibrant emerald-green plumage across its back, contrasting with rufous underparts and a distinctive black facial mask. Its most striking feature, and namesake, is the brilliant cerulean blue patch adorning its throat, a key identification mark. Averaging 25-28 cm (10-11 inches) in length, this species notably deviates from most other motmots by...
This species thrives in humid montane evergreen and cloud forests, favoring the dense understory and mid-canopy from elevations of approximately 1,200 to 2,800 meters (3,900-9,200 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and cicadas, supplemented occasionally by small lizards, frogs, or snails, captured via perch-and-pounce foraging.
The Blue-throated Motmot is a diurnal and rather sedentary bird, often spending long periods motionless on a concealed perch within the forest understory, patiently scanning for prey. Its primary foraging strategy is the classic "perch-and-pounce," where it darts out to snatch insects from foliag...
The Blue-throated Motmot is a non-migratory resident species found exclusively in the highland cloud forests of Central America. Its distribution stretches from the extreme southern Mexican states of Chiapas and eastern Oaxaca, southward through Guatemala and El Salvador, and extending into north...
Least Concern
- The Blue-throated Motmot is unique among its family for lacking the distinctive "racket" tips on its tail feathers, a feature common to most other motmot species. - It is the sole member of its genus, *Aspatha*, making it a monotypic species with no close living relatives within the Motmot fami...