Motmots (Momotidae)

Broad-billed Motmot (Electron platyrhynchum) - HBW 6, p. 280

French: Motmot à bec large German: Plattschnabelmotmot Spanish: Momoto Picoancho
Other common names: Plain-tailed Motmot (“pyrrholaemum group”)

Taxonomy: Momotus platyrhynchus Leadbeater, 1829, Brazil; error = western Ecuador.
Probably closely related to E. carinatum and, despite plumage differences, might even be conspecific: the two are similar in structure and, reportedly, in vocalizations; moreover, mixed pairing recorded in two successive seasons in Costa Rica, with apparent courtship feeding by present species; further study of taxonomic status required. Races mostly well marked; those E of Andes, lacking tail-racquets, combined as the “pyrrholaemum group”, considered by some to be a separate species. Six subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

minor (Hartert, 1898) - E Honduras to E Panama.
platyrhynchum (Leadbeater, 1829) - W of Andes from NW Colombia to SW Ecuador (El Oro).
colombianum Meyer de Schauensee, 1950 - lowlands N of Andes in N Colombia.

See all 6 subspecies

minor (Hartert, 1898) - E Honduras to E Panama.
platyrhynchum (Leadbeater, 1829) - W of Andes from NW Colombia to SW Ecuador (El Oro).
colombianum Meyer de Schauensee, 1950 - lowlands N of Andes in N Colombia.
pyrrholaemum (Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1902) - E of Andes from Colombia (S Meta, Caquetá) S through E Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia (Cochabamba, Santa Cruz).
orienticola Oberholser, 1920 - upper Amazonian Brazil (W Amazonas, Acre).
chlorophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1931 - N Brazil S of Amazon (in E Amazonas, Pará, Mato Grosso, N Goiás).