Russet-crowned Motmot
Momotus mexicanus
Silhouette: Sofía Terán Sánchez · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMomotidae (Motmots)
- GenusMomotus (Blue-crowned and Russet-crowned Motmots)
- SpeciesMomotus mexicanus (Russet-crowned Motmot)
About the Russet-crowned Motmot
The russet-crowned motmot (Momotus mexicanus) is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala. It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned motmot is the most understudied species of motmot in the family Momotidae.
"Russet" refers to the reddish-brown colour of the bird's head and originates from the Latin russus meaning red. Motmots are a part of the order Coraciiformes which also includes bee-eaters, rollers, todies, and kingfishers. The russet-crowned motmot is one of seven species in the genus Momotus of the family Momotidae.
Russet-crowned motmots are very sedentary because of their strong site fidelity; 60% return to the same nesting areas as the previous year because of the low amount of suitable nesting sites. As a result, gene flow between different populations is limited which can lead to speciation. Reyes et al. found that genetic variation between three populations in Mexico was very high (12.9%) considering that the populations were relatively close.
There are four recognized subspecies of russet-crowned motmots: M.m. mexicanus M.m. vanrossemi M.m. saturates... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Russet-crowned Motmot in Cañón del Sumidero National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cañón del Sumidero National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Russet-crowned Motmot in Cañón del Sumidero National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Russet-crowned Motmot sighting in Cañón del Sumidero National Park, based on 588 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Russet-crowned Motmot in Cañón del Sumidero National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Russet-crowned Motmot in Cañón del Sumidero National Park in our monthly data.