The Story
This Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis) perched against a rich green backdrop at Finca Alejandría, known as El Paraíso de los Colibríes, at Kilometer 18 near Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, in diffused natural light under the forest canopy. It is known for its green plumage, blue crown markings and racket-tipped tail. Its crown is black, bordered by a diadem of blue, with a black mask edged in blue and dark blue rackets. It lives in all three of Colombia’s Andean ranges and south to Bolivia, along forest edges and in secondary forest, and eats mostly arthropods with some fruit. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I photographed it with a Canon R5 and the RF 800mm f/11, at 1/180 sec, f/11, 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.
©2024 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