Eumomota superciliosa
The Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) is a strikingly beautiful, medium-sized bird, typically measuring 34 cm (13.4 in) in length and weighing between 60-70g. Its vibrant plumage features a green body, a contrasting rufous-orange belly and back, and a brilliant turquoise supercilium (brow) and crown, accentuated by a distinct black mask extending through the eye. The most iconic field mark is its long, slender tail, which terminates in unique bare shafts with "racket" tips-a fea...
Inhabits dry to semi-humid tropical and subtropical forests, forest edges, clearings with scattered trees, coffee plantations, and riverine areas, typically at low to mid-elevations up to 1,700 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming a wide variety of large insects such as grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, and dragonflies, along with spiders and centipedes. They also opportunistically prey on small lizards, snakes, or frogs, and supplement their diet with some fruit.
A diurnal species, the Turquoise-browed Motmot frequently perches motionlessly on exposed branches for extended periods, captivating observers with its characteristic pendulum-like tail wag. It employs a classic "perch-and-pounce" foraging strategy, keenly watching for prey from its vantage point...
The Turquoise-browed Motmot is a resident species distributed throughout much of Central America, from southeastern Mexico south to northwestern Costa Rica. Its primary breeding range extends across the Yucatán Peninsula and the Pacific and Caribbean slopes of countries including Belize, Guatemal...
Least Concern
- The Turquoise-browed Motmot is the national bird of both Nicaragua and El Salvador, where it is known as "Guardabarranco" and "Torogoz" respectively. - Its distinctive "racket" tipped tail feathers are not naturally grown that way; the bird meticulously preens and plucks barbs from the central ...