Electron carinatum
The Keel-billed Motmot (*Electron carinatum*) is a resplendent jewel of Central American forests, immediately recognizable by its unique bill and tail. Averaging 29-37 cm (11.5-14.5 inches) in length, this medium-sized bird sports a vibrant green body, a distinctive rufous head, and a striking black mask across its eyes, framed by a narrow blue border. Its most remarkable feature is the deep, serrated, keeled bill, from which it derives its name, coupled with a long, slender tail adorned with...
Primary habitat is humid evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, particularly in lowland and lower montane regions up to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet). They prefer the mid-story and understory, often near ravines or forest edges.
Primarily consumes large insects (beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas), spiders, small lizards, and frogs, occasionally supplementing with fruit. Prey is caught by sally-gleaning or sally-striking from a perch.
Keel-billed Motmots are diurnal and often observed perched motionless for extended periods, surveying their surroundings from a leafy branch. Their foraging strategy primarily involves sally-gleaning or sally-striking: they launch from a perch to snatch insects from foliage or the air, or to stri...
The Keel-billed Motmot is a resident species distributed across the humid tropical forests of Central America, spanning from southern Mexico south to Panama. Its northern range includes isolated populations in southern Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas in Mexico. It is continuously found throughout B...
Vulnerable
- The 'keeled' appearance of its bill is due to serrations along the edges, useful for grasping slippery prey. - Its distinctive racket-tipped tail is not naturally grown that way; the motmot actually 'barbs' its own tail feathers, plucking barbs from the central shaft to create the bare stem and...