# Blue-crowned Motmot (*Momotus momota*) The Blue-crowned Motmot is a colorful bird with a bright blue crown and a long tail. It loves to hop around in the trees and can be found in Central and South America, making it a special sight for bird watchers! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Blue-crowned Motmot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Momotus_momota_-_Amazonian_motmot%253B_Bonito%252C_Mato_Grosso_do_Sul%252C_Brazil.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hector Bottai, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Momotus_momota_-_Amazonian_motmot%253B_Bonito%252C_Mato_Grosso_do_Sul%252C_Brazil.jpg) ## Appearance The Blue-crowned Motmot has a vibrant green body with a rusty belly and a distinctive bright blue crown. It wears a black mask across its eyes and unique tail feathers that resemble rackets at their tips. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Coraciiformes - **Family:** Momotidae - **Genus:** Momotus ## Interesting facts - Baby motmots stay in their cozy tunnel nests for almost a month before flying out! - Motmots are one of the few birds that decorate their nests with leaves and flowers! - Some scientists believe their tail rackets might act like a pendulum when they fly! - They often perch perfectly still, making them masters of camouflage in the forest. ## Special abilities - **Racket Tail Creation:** Blue-crowned Motmot can custom-shape its tail feathers into unique 'rackets' that helps them signal to other motmots. - **Tunnel Architect:** Blue-crowned Motmot can dig deep nesting tunnels into earth banks, which provides a safe home for its chicks. - **Prey Batter:** Blue-crowned Motmot has a clever way of hitting larger prey against branches, which helps them tenderize it before eating. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-48 cm - **Wingspan:** 50-60 cm - **Weight:** 0.13-0.19 kg - **Lifespan:** 12-18 years - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 19-22 days - **Migration Distance:** 0 km ## Diet & Feeding This colorful bird enjoys a mix of insects and juicy fruits from its forest home! - **Primary Foods:** beetles, dragonflies, spiders, lizards, berries, tropical fruits - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** June Beetle (*Phyllophaga anxia*) — Hunts and consumes various large beetles in its habitat. - **Hunts:** Punctated Anole (*Anolis punctatus*) — Preys on these small arboreal lizards in the forest. - **Eats:** Central American Strangler Fig (*Ficus glabrata*) — Relies on various fig species for its fruit diet. - **Eaten by:** Collared Forest-Falcon (*Micrastur semitorquatus*) — Can be prey for agile forest raptors. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blue-crowned Motmot? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Blue-crowned Motmot? 40-48 cm ### What is Blue-crowned Motmot's wingspan? 50-60 cm ### How much does Blue-crowned Motmot weigh? 0.13-0.19 kg ### How long does Blue-crowned Motmot live? 12-18 years ### What does Blue-crowned Motmot eat? This colorful bird enjoys a mix of insects and juicy fruits from its forest home! ### Where is Blue-crowned Motmot usually found? Forests ### How does Blue-crowned Motmot hunt? Ambush ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Blue-crowned Motmot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-crowned-motmot)