Blue-Crowned Motmots

There are six species of motmots living in Costa Rica: the blue-crowned motmot, broad-billed motmot, keel-billed motmot, rufous motmot, tody motmot, and turquoise-browed motmot. With the exception of the tody motmot (the world’s smallest), these colorful birds have long, thin tails that end with two round feathers known as racquet-tipped tails. It is common for motmots to swing their tail plumage in a pendulum motion, earning them the nickname “clock birds.”

Last updated: Nov 1, 2023