On our recent vacation we were fortunate to have a Motmot come to feed everyday at the house we were renting. There were 2 or 3 vacant lots next to ours and all facing a golf course. This was a good habitat for lots of birds. The first time I saw him in the wooded area it looked like someone had put a bad blue (tourquoise) toupee on his head. The birds were feeding on the fruit of a palm tree. The Motmot is about 18 inches long and has a reddish orange underpart, green upperparts, blue racquet tipped tail. The book says the barbs fall out at maturity so this must have been a young bird. There is also some black on his head. At first he would fly and grab the fruit and quickly fly away. Finally he sat on the ledge of the balcony wall or on a pole in the yard. I though he was a spectacular bird.
This island is a great place for bird watching having over 200 species of birds. One day we also saw three Rufous-vented Chachalacas. They look like a chicken on a Weight Watcher’s diet. I found out they are the natioanl bird of Tobago. They also make a god-awful noise that we heard one night.
Every time I see a bloom of Momot I will be reminded of our visitor.
Naomi Liggett in Columbus Oh and am glad I was gone when it was so cold here.