Avise's Birds of the World

Turquoise-browed Motmot
Eumomota superciliosa

Native Range: Middle America

Notes: motmots are an exclusively Neotropical group of about ten extant species most of which have beautiful plumages and long tails; their name comes from their double-noted hooting calls; in most species, the central tail feathers grow much longer than do the others, and the barbs midway toward the tips quickly fall off (e.g. during preening) such that only two thin shafts remain and the tail overall looks as if it has two bold flags at its terminus; motmots are found in many woodland habitats, with this species preferring dry open forests; little sexual dimorphism.