The Story
This Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis) was photographed at Finca Alejandría, at Kilometer 18 near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, at about 1,980 meters. It is a large motmot, 46 to 48 centimeters long, with a stout black bill and a long tail ending in dark blue rackets. Its back, wings and underparts are green, and its black crown is bordered by a diadem of blue. It is also called the Highland Motmot. In Colombia it occurs in all three Andean ranges, and it eats mostly arthropods, with some fruit. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one, at 1/350 sec, f/6.7, ISO 3200, +0.5 EV. The San Antonio cloud forest at Kilometer 18 is recognized as an Important Bird Area and a Key Biodiversity Area, with the Multicolored Tanager as its symbol species.
©2023 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