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  In flight

Kingfishers

Andean Motmot

Momotus aequatorialis

• uncommon
• 39 km/h
• Least Concern

Cloud forest motmot of the high Andes. Pendulum tail, turquoise crown, total stillness. Delivers without being seen.

Habitat

Humid montane forest, typically near streams; also forest edges and secondary forest. Elevation varies by country: ~1,500-3,100 m in Colombia, 1,000-2,100 m in Ecuador, 1,000-2,400 m in Peru, 1,600-1,900 m in Bolivia.

Fun fact

The Andean Motmot has a distinctive racket-tipped tail and a black mask bordered with blue plus a blue "diadem" crown; its name derives from its low, monotone "boop-oop" hooting call.

Range

Andes of northern Colombia (all three cordilleras) south through Ecuador and Peru (eastern Andes only) to La Paz Department in northwestern Bolivia.

Diet

Omnivorous: mainly arthropods and fruit; also documented preying on small marsupials (mouse opossums, genus Micoureus).

Size

0.47 m