In today’s Animals of Our Protected Areas I wanted to introduce you to a distinctive little bird found in the Bladen Nature Reserve: The keel-billed motmot.
Keel-billed Motmot
Motmots live throughout Central America, and seem to have a healthy population in the Maya Mountains despite their “vulnerable” status on the IUCN Red List. We’ve seen them in the foothills of the Maya Mountains as well, but the bird limits itself to vast stretches of undisturbed forest, preferring old growth trees to secondary forests. This tendency makes the keel-billed motmot a wonderful indicator species of the old growth forest health.
Motmots are omnivorous, eating insects and lizards, as well as small fruits. Though they spend most of their time in the sub-canopy, they make their nests in river banks, laying their eggs in burrows carved into the mud. Usually a solitary bird, groups of nesting pairs will often congregate to raise their young in one area. No doubt it helps to have extra eyes scanning the forests for predators.
Motmot Tail
The keel-billed motmot has a very distinctive pair of tail feathers. Two large feathers extend further than the other feathers and give the appearance of two rackets hanging from the back of the bird. According to Wikipedia, the bird will wag its tail – flicking those two feathers when they sense predators nearby. That action informs the predator the bird is aware of its presence and is ready to flee if attacked. Thus, the predator knows it has been bested.
I guess if you’re sneaking up on a motmot, you know you’re doing it right if you don’t see its tail feathers move. Once those odd, blue ping-pong paddles start shaking you know you’re done. You’ve been spotted!
We chose the keel-billed motmot as the silhouette for our newly-designed logo for the Bladen Nature Reserve. It’s hauntingly distinct cry, its beautiful tail design and its importance as an indicator species has made the little motmot one of the favorites among our ranger and protected areas management staff.
Keel-billed Motmot Adorns the BNR Logo
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AC Rhinehart said
I’m curious to know if you have begun to use your beautiful logo? I’ve been looking for a website for BNR and I can’t seem to find one.
Ya'axché Communications said
Thank you for visiting our website. Yes we have been using the logo. The one of the most beautiful birds of Bladen Nature Reserve. Yes we have been using it in report and other documents regarding Bladen Nature Reserve. We will be putting it on website shortly.