Broad-billed motmot – Our Tambopata Amazon lodge shelters hundreds of bird species
06 November 2026 (162 visits)The broad-billed motmot (Electron platyrhynchum) is just one of the more than 600 bird species that thrive in the protected Tambopata Amazon rainforest we have been working for more than 35 years to protect. Its bright plumage makes it a favorite among both the keen birdwatchers who visit us, as well as our other guests who enjoy observing and photographing beautiful birds, during the expertly guided Amazon jungle trips we offer here in southeastern Peru.
The broad-billed motmot is a brightly colored bird, easy to distinguish among the vegetation of our rainforest trails, with the help of one of our experienced, locally-based naturalist guides. The plumage on its head, neck and breast is a bright rufous-orange, its back is greenish, and it has a black face mask around its eyes and a small black spot on its chest. Its tail is long and ranges from blue to green in color, ending in an unmistakable racket tip. The bill that gives it its common English name is wide and flat, and its edges are serrated. Both the males and females of the species exhibit the same plumage.
The preferred habitat of the broad-billed motmot is the humid lowland Amazon forest that is the predominant ecosystem of our Tambopata home. Because it tends to favor under-story and mid-story levels, it can often be seen during trail walks, and its preference for forest close to water sources means it can also be spotted during boat trips.
Unlike most other birds in the motmot family, the broad-billed motmot is primarily insectivorous and rarely consumes fruit. It hunts by sitting motionless on middle-to-low forest perches for long periods, scanning the foliage, air and ground for signs of movement, and then launching a high-speed strike to catch its prey in mid-air, before returning to the same perch.
While the natural range of the broad-billed motmot is wide, beyond protected Amazon rainforest like our own Tambopata National Reserve, its population is declining.
