A secretive bird: the Blue-crowned Motmot!

The Blue-crowned Motmot is a secretive bird, but also a resident of Kabalebo. Even though it is a common bird, it is also almost impossible to 'immortalize' it. After years of waiting patiently, I was finally able to succeed.

The Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota) is a solitary bird, who doesn't like all the attention. It is a bird who likes to keep a low profile and stay at the background. The first time that I spotted this bird, was via the trophy cam on February 23, 2012. It was on the ground searching for insects, I suppose. 

On other occasions, visitors or staff members saw him near the river cabin. The path or trail is the best spot to see him, as it is surrounded by dense vegetation and provides lots of shady places. A perfect place for him to stay. 

On March 15, 2015 I was able to take my first shots of this unique bird. While I was driving, it flew right in front of the golf car. At first I thought that it was a Trogon, but then again I figured it looked way bigger than a trogon. I guess it was my lucky day, because close to the golf car it landed on a vine giving me ample time to determine that it was a Blue-crowned Motmot.

Seeing with your very own eyes is one thing. Trying to take a picture is the second thing. This bird didn't sit still on one spot. It actually flew short distances and kept landing on either vines or branches. Shady spots were its favorite too to make matters even challenging for me. But I finally conquered.

The Blue-crowned Motmot lives from berries, fruits, snails and insects (grasshoppers, plant hoppers and butterflies). When looking for insects it prefers to follow army ants. During their journey, the ants chase away insects from their hiding place. The Blue-crowned Motmot can be spotted at any level in the forest: canopy high - mid canopy and even on the ground, but not in open sunny areas.

The Blue-crowned Motmot is a unique bird that can be easily identified or recognized by its racket-tipped tail. During the mornings and afternoon it is a very active bird.