Photo: Geoff Gallice from Gainesville, FL, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Amazonian Motmot
Momotus momota
Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota) — Kingfishers & Rollers of South America.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
See what's near you right nowThe Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota) is a member of the Momotidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 115 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Momotidae Motmots
- Genus Momotus
- Species momota
Quick facts
- Weight
- 115 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Momotidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Amazonian Motmot is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Amazonian Motmot is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota) is a member of the Momotidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 115 g, with a wing length of about 14.2 cm and a tail of around 25.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 8.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Amazonian Motmot?
The Amazonian Motmot is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 115 g.
Where does the Amazonian Motmot live?
The Amazonian Motmot is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Amazonian Motmot belong to?
The Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota) belongs to the Momotidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Amazonian Motmot eat?
The Amazonian Motmot is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Amazonian Motmot migrate?
The Amazonian Motmot is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Amazonian Motmot endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Amazonian Motmot make?
1 real field recording of the Amazonian Motmot — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Amazonian Motmot's range?
The Amazonian Motmot has a mapped global range of about 8.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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