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Turquoise-browed Motmot
Eumomota superciliosa
The national bird of both El Salvador and Nicaragua, the Turquoise-browed Motmot is instantly recognizable by its turquoise-and-black racket-tipped tail, which it swings like a pendulum when alert. Found in forests and ruins from Mexico to Costa Rica, it nests in burrows dug into earthen banks. Its calm, owl-like demeanor belies a swift insect-catching strike.
Fun Fact
Turquoise-browed Motmots deliberately pluck the barbs from the middle of their long tail feathers, creating the distinctive racket-tipped tail they wag like a pendulum.
Attributes
TypeSongbird
Habitatforest, tropical
SizeMedium
Dietinsects
FlightStandard
Colorsgreen, blue, orange
MigratoryNo
ContinentsNorth America
Nest Typeburrow
ConservationLeast Concern
Difficulty: hard