The Story
This Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis) was at Líbano, Tolima, Colombia when I photographed it. It lives in the Andes from Colombia through Ecuador and Peru to northwestern Bolivia, and in Colombia it occurs in all three cordilleras. It mainly inhabits humid montane forest, often near streams. It also uses forest edges and secondary forest. It is omnivorous, feeding mainly on arthropods but also on fruit. Its tail rackets are dark blue. In 2019 Cortolima counted 778 bird species for Tolima on eBird, 14th among Colombia’s departments. Coffee is the center of Líbano’s economy and culture.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/100 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400. IUCN lists the Andean Motmot as Least Concern, with a decreasing population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis) belongs to the family Momotidae (Motmots) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
