Motmots are known for their quiet, deliberate behaviour. They often perch still in the understory of the forest, scanning for prey. They feed on insects, small reptiles, amphibians, and fruit, making them opportunistic omnivores. Insects like beetles and grasshoppers make up a large part of their diet.

These birds have very long tail feathers, approximately 60% the length of the whole bird. They have a distinct “racquet” shape to their middle two tail feathers, which forms as barbs beak off from a newly grown feather. The circular racquet has a bright blue colour and is used for a display in the presence of possible predators. By wagging the tail back and forth like a pendulum, the Motmot lets the predator know that it has been spotted and ambushing the Motmot is probably going to fail.

They are typically solitary or found in pairs. The species is distributed broadly in the Amazon River basin in all different types of forests. But the species doesn’t nest in trees! Instead, they dig burrows up to 2 meters long into soft earth, including a rounded nesting chamber at the end.

Females lay 2 to 5 eggs, and both parents take turns incubating the eggs over the course of 13 to 21 days. Chicks leave the nest about 3 to4 weeks after hatching.

Whooping Motmots are considered Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, but the population is decreasing due to habitat fragmentation and degradation. Motmots rely on mature forests with stable soil for nesting, so they’re more vulnerable in areas where the land is being cleared or degraded.