Fun Tody Motmot Facts For Kids
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The tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) is a small migratory bird in the family Momotidae. This motmot species is the sole member of its genus and has three subspecies: Hylomanes momotula momotula, M. m. chiapensis, and M. m. obscurus.
It can be found in the areas of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. The tody motmot is the smallest of the motmot species and is named tody motmot because it resembles the closely related family Tolidae of the Caribbean.
They are small in size and the male tody motmot weighs more than the female motmot. The motmot makes loud sounds that resonate a gruffing sound or a loud penetrating sound.
Scroll down to read about the tody motmot's life span, what they feed on, their habitat, and other exciting details! If you want to discover more birds, take a look at our common kingfisher and hummingbird facts articles.
Tody Motmot Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a tody motmot?
The tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) is a small migratory bird in the family Momotidae.
What class of animal does a tody motmot belong to?
The tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) belongs to the class Aves and the order Coraciiformes.
How many tody motmots are there in the world?
There isn't an exact amount mentioned about the number of tody motmots present in the world, but according to its conservation status, the species are found in abundance.
Where does a tody motmot live?
The tody motmot is a migratory bird and it can be called the birds of the world, as it can be found all over the map. Its distribution can be found in the areas of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
What is a tody motmot's habitat?
The tody motmot habitat in the humid evergreen tropical forest from sea level to 6069.6 ft (1850 m) elevation. It can also be found in ravines.
Who does a tody motmot live with?
Primarily, the tody motmot is a solitary animal, but if there is an absence of space or during the mating season, they stay together in flocks or near to each other.
How long does a tody motmot live?
A tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) has a lifespan of about 12-14 years. Even though the species survive for a longer period of time and are on the least concern status, they are still less in number due to degrading tropical forest habitat conditions.
How do they reproduce?
The procedure of a tody motmot breeding is quite unknown, but there have been several sightings of birds carrying food to nests during the mating season, that is, the month of July. Their nest is also quite a mystery to the researchers.
What is their conservation status?
According to the IUCN Red List, the tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) is of Least Concern, as these birds can be found in abundance all over the world, but their numbers have been decreasing due to degrading habitat conditions.
Tody Motmot Fun Facts
What does a tody motmot look like?
The tody motmot is a small bird and has a green head with a reddish-brown neck. It has a green-colored back and hind.
The bird has a plumage that runs above the eyes which is blue in color and it also has a black eye mask with a white stripe below it. Its throat is white and the breast is green in color along with a white belly.
How cute are they?
The motmot bird species looks incredibly endearing with their small size and vibrant color combinations. These migrant birds are quite eye-catching and their behavior of jumping from branch to branch is quite pleasing as well.
How do they communicate?
The motmot makes loud sounds that resonate with a gruffing sound or a loud penetrating sound which helps it to communicate with other motmot birds.
How big is a tody motmot?
The tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) is almost 6.5-7.1 in (16.5-18.0 cm) long. This makes the greater flamingo, that is, 43-59 in(110–150 cm) long, more than five times taller than the motmot bird.
How fast can a tody motmot fly?
There is no estimated flight speed of these species, but the tody motmots are migratory birds which makes them able to fly faster than most birds. They are not as fast as common swifts but can move very fast due to their smaller size.
How much does a tody motmot weigh?
The tody motmot (Hylomanes momotula) is a small bird but the weight of the male and female species is different. The male motmot weighs 0.059-0.072 lb (27-33 g) while the female birds weigh 0.055-0.066 lb (25-30 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names assigned to the male or female tody motmot birds and they are just termed as the tody motmot, Hylomanes momotula.
What would you call a baby tody motmot?
The newborns are not called by a specific name but are called either hatchlings or chicks until they become like the breeding adult.
What do they eat?
The tody motmot diet consists of insects, spiders, and snails like the apple snails. It doesn't eat fruits like other motmot birds but catches butterflies and dragonflies mid-flight.
Are they dangerous?
These bird species don't attack anyone and have no means of defending themselves with their small size. They are completely harmless and tend to stay away from bigger birds in order to be safe.
Would they make a good pet?
They are a migratory bird species, which means the motmots move from one region to another during different seasons and if they become pets, they won't be able to migrate every season, which can take a toll on this species.
Did you know...
The tody motmot species doesn't have a long tail like the other motmot birds of the motmot species.
Do tody motmots migrate?
The tody motmot is a migratory bird which means it can be called the birds of the world, as it can be found all over the map. Its distribution ranges from Southern Mexico, through Central America to Columbia.
How to spot tody motmots
The motmots can be spotted by sighting a small bird with a green head and a reddish-brown neck that makes a loud penetrating sound.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including chipping sparrow fun facts and flamingo facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable four calling birds coloring pages.
Main image by dominic sherony.
Second image by Mdf.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English
Arkoprabho SadhuBachelor of Arts specializing in English
Arkoprabho is an English graduate from Bidhannagar University with experience in academic writing on various subjects such as business management, law, and medicine. He is a published poet and enjoys films, music, and finance. As a member of the Content Updating team, he aims to become an expert in SEO content writing and editing. In his free time, he likes to write film scripts, research the stock market, and indulge in creative interests such as poetry writing, anime, and music.
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