El Valle - the best place for Panama Birds & Wildlife Photos of 2017 (pt. 5) - Featured Species: Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula)

The Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula) was our principal target in El Valle, and it took several visits to finally have the opportunity to get this series of photos. These were possible when we met face to face with this little motmot at a point blank distance of 3 m (9.8 ft), and at about 1 m (3 ft) from the ground. Honestly, this was not the first time we had seen it (or heard it), but was the first time it was completely collaborative, even turning from back to front.

We didn’t need playback, or a guide to locate it, we were simply lucky to walk into it after several hours walking around in a forest where we had seen it before and is localised, the same day we found the Chuck-Will’s-Widow. However, as explained above was not the first time we were looking for it.

Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula)

This is the smallest species in the Momotidae family, and monotypic within the genus Hylomanes. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and humid evergreen forest, especially along ravines; to 1850 m.

Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula)

Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula)

The Tody Motmot is named for its superficial resemblance to the todies of the Caribbean. Distinguished from other motmots by small size (18 cm / 7 in) and relatively short tail. It has a short blue superciliary stripe and whitish stripes in its face. It is almost always easiest to detect by its song, and it's generally local and uncommon throughout its fragmented range. In Panama it is rare in foothills in El Valle, Altos del María, Cerro Azul, Cerro Chucantí, and in Darién in lowlands and foothills.

Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula)

Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula)

It is found in lower levels of forest and feeds on insects including Morpho butterflies, spiders and small snails, captured in aerial sallies.

Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)

Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer)

Hanging Lobster Claw (Heliconia rostrata)

Heliconia rostrata, also known as hanging lobster claw, is an herbaceous perennial native to Central and South America. Often used as a specimen for tropical gardens. This plant, has downward-facing flowers. It's one of the two national flowers of Bolivia.

Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa)