Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula Scientific name definitions

The Tody Motmot is a charismatic, surreptitious little motmot of Central American lowland and hill forest. It is almost always easiest to detect by its song, a rising-falling and accelerating series of rising whistles. A whistled imitation of the song will often bring a singing bird out of the dense, shadowy vegetation along a stream and into the open. The Tody Motmot is named for its superficial resemblence to the todies of the Caribbean. It feeds on insects captured in aerial sallies, but there is little published information on its breeding behavior.

16·5–18 cm; male 27–33 g, female 25–30 g. Much the smallest motmot, chunky and large-headed; tail shortish with central pair of rectrices only c. 6–7 mm longer than next pair, three outer pairs markedly graduated. Both sexes of nominate race have green crown, rufous nape, blue supercilium, black eye-mask with whitish stripe below; upperparts green, tail all green; tuft of elongated whitish or pale buffy feathers on each side of throat, greenish breast obscurely streaked, belly white; bill black, often paler below at base, rictal bristles rather short and weak; legs and feet brownish to blackish. Differs from all other motmots in small size, pattern of face and underparts, lack of racquet tips on tail, no serrations on cutting edges of bill. Juvenile duller, with greyish-brown crown and nape. Races <em>chiapensis</em> and <em>obscurus</em> both darker, latter also has less white on throat.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Humid evergreen forest, especially along ravines; to 1850 m.

None recorded.

Insects , spiders and small snails; butterflies include species of Morpho. Unlike most other motmots, not recorded feeding on fruit and is considered wholly or largely insectivorous, although precise data are rather few (2 Remsen, J.V., Hyde, M.A. and Chapman, A. (1993). The diets of Neotropical trogons, motmots, barbets and toucans. Condor. 95(1): 178-192. Close ). Food items plucked from vegetation in flight sallies; butterflies and dragonflies also taken in air.

A resonant, far-carrying, gruff-sounding "kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa..." or "quah quah quah quah..." (3 Jones, H. L. (2004). Birds of Belize. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), considered to be somewhat reminiscent of a Prong-billed Barbet (Semnornis frantzii), is most often head at dawn (3 Jones, H. L. (2004). Birds of Belize. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but also produces loud, penetrating, hollow "whoop!" notes at rate of one per 1·5 sec and a faster Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum)-like "whut whut whut...", which can be either low- or moderately high-pitched (3 Jones, H. L. (2004). Birds of Belize. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), while gives soft, high-pitched sputtering notes in alarm, somewhat like the vocalizations of some small squirrels (4 Stiles, F. G., and A. F. Skutch (1989). A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Food-carrying adult in Jun and fledgling with adult in early Jul in Belize; fledgling collected in Jun in Guatemala; in Colombia, egg-laying female collected in Feb in NW (Chocó) and female in breeding condition in May in N (Antioquia). Nest unrecorded, presumably in burrow in earth bank. No other details.

Not globally threatened. Generally local and uncommon throughout its fragmented range; fairly common to common on Atlantic slope from Mexico to Honduras; very uncommon in Costa Rica. Occurs in Tikal National Park, Guatemala. Little known; research required, especially on breeding biology.