The Story
This Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis) was photographed close up near Roncesvalles, a highland municipality in Tolima, Colombia, showing its blue crown, black mask and red eye. It lives in the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia and eats mainly arthropods, along with some fruit. It is assumed to nest in a long burrow in an earth bank like other motmots, but its nest has never been described. Its song has been described as a monotone boop-oop.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 800mm f/11 for this one, at 1/1000 sec, f/11, ISO 2000. IUCN lists the Andean Motmot as Least Concern, and above Roncesvalles, land between 3,200 and 4,000 meters is now protected as the Loros Andinos Regional Natural Park.
©2025 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