Turquoise-browed Motmot

colorful birds · Central America · climate indicator

Strikingly colorful. The turquoise-browed motmot is a medium-sized bird with bright, vibrant feathers and a distinctive turquoise stripe above its eye that makes it one of the most beautiful birds in Central America.

Central American home. This bird lives from southeastern Mexico all the way to Costa Rica, where it's quite common and thriving without any serious threats to its population.

Dry forest dweller. Unlike many other motmots, the turquoise-browed motmot loves dry forests with lots of different tree types, an open canopy, and thick plants below, while another motmot species prefers wet forests nearby.

Climate change tracker. Scientists use this bird as a bioindicator, meaning its location and habitat choices help them understand how climate change is making certain areas drier over time.

Picky about homes. The turquoise-browed motmot prefers forest edges and scrubland with high tree diversity rather than dense, unbroken forests, showing it likes variety in its neighborhood.