The rufous-capped motmot (Baryphthengus ruficapillus ) is a species of bird in the family Momotidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Flocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe rufous-capped motmot is 42 cm (17 in) long and weighs 140 to 151 g (4.9 to 5.3 oz). The adults are mostly green above and olive-green below. The crown and nape are rufous and a black "mask" has a turquoise border. The chest has a black spot, there is a rufous band across the belly, and the lower belly is blue-green. The juvenile is similarly colored but duller.
The rufous-capped motmot is found across southeastern Brazil, in eastern Paraguay, and in far northeastern Argentina. It inhabits primary and gallery forest, the latter mostly along watercourses. It ranges in elevation from near sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
The rufous-capped motmot's diet is cosmopolitan. It includes insects and their larvae; spiders; snails; small reptiles, mammals, and birds; and to a lesser degree fruits. The species has been observed following army ants to capture what they disturb and also sometimes forages in mixed-species flocks.
The rufous-capped motmot nests in a burrow in an earth bank; it either digs its own or uses an abandoned burrow dug by another animal such as an armadillo. The burrow can be more than 1 m (3.3 ft) long. The species lays two or three eggs, probably in September and October based on when nestlings and young have been observed. Both sexes feed the young.
The IUCN has assessed the rufous-capped motmot as being of Least Concern. Though it has a large range, appears to have a large population, and occurs in many protected areas, deforestation elsewhere is causing its population to decline.
