Motmots belong to a family of birds found only in the Americas, from Mexico all the way south to Bolivia. The turquoise-browed motmot is found across Central America, including in El Salvador's forests, coffee plantations, and gardens. It is sometimes called the 'Torogoz' in El Salvador after the sound of its call — a deep, resonant 'toh-toh' that rings through the trees at dawn and dusk.
The remarkable tail is not something the bird is born with. Young motmots grow long tail feathers, but the middle section of the feather has weak barbs (the tiny branches that make up a feather) and these fall away over time, leaving the dangling racket tips. The bird also sometimes helps the process along by preening the weak section until it breaks away.
Motmots hunt from a perch — they sit very still on a branch and watch for insects, lizards, or small frogs below. When they spot prey, they swoop down, grab it, and return to their perch to eat. Sometimes they tap larger prey against the branch before eating, which helps soften it. Despite being such striking birds, their green and rufous plumage camouflages them surprisingly well in dappled forest light.
In El Salvador, the motmot appears on artisan crafts, paintings, and even tourism materials because it is such a symbol of national pride. Birdwatchers from around the world travel to Central America specifically to see this extraordinary bird in its natural habitat.