Hylomanes momotula
The Tody Motmot, *Hylomanes momotula*, stands out as the smallest and perhaps most enigmatic member of the Motmotidae family, a group renowned for their vibrantly colored plumage and distinctive racquet-tipped tails. Measuring a diminutive 16-21 cm (6.3-8.3 inches) in length and weighing a mere 27-33 grams (0.95-1.16 ounces), it is a petite forest gem. Its plumage is characterized by a striking moss-green on the back and wings, contrasting with rich rufous underparts that extend up the throat...
This species primarily inhabits humid evergreen forests, favoring dense understory, ravines, and stream banks, typically found from sea level up to elevations of 1,800 meters.
Its diet mainly consists of insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and cicadas, along with spiders, occasionally supplemented by small lizards or frogs, captured through sally-gleaning and aerial sallies.
The Tody Motmot is a diurnal species, often encountered alone or in pairs, exhibiting a generally secretive and cryptic demeanor, frequently perching motionless for extended periods, making it challenging to spot. Its foraging strategy deviates from typical motmot behavior; it predominantly sally...
The Tody Motmot boasts a fascinating, disjunct distribution spanning from southern Mexico through Central America to western Panama. Its northernmost populations are found in the humid evergreen forests of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas in Mexico, extending southward into Guatemala, Belize, Hondur...
Least Concern
- The Tody Motmot is the smallest species in the entire Motmot family (Momotidae), often going unnoticed due to its diminutive size. - It is the only member of its genus, *Hylomanes*, making it a unique evolutionary lineage among motmots. - Unlike most other motmots, the Tody Motmot lacks the dis...