Rufous-capped Motmot

Baryphthengus ruficapillus, the scientific name of the Rufous-capped Motmot, can be translated as deep voiced motmot with a rufous head. The identification of our Rufous-capped Motmot was catalogued in 1818 and is attributed to the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot (1748-1831) who located it in Peru! In fact, two explorers, naturalists, and ornithologists are to be credited with the discovery of the Rufous-capped Motmot; Félix Manuel de Azara, Spanish explorer (1746-1821) explored in Brazil from 1781 to 1801 and discovered Baryphthengus ruficapillus, followed by François Levaillant, French ornithologist (1753-1824) who reworked the findings of his Spanish colleague to cite and give the French name. The Rufous-capped Motmot is a close cousin of the Rufous Motmot, with which it forms the genus Baryphthengus, large in size, 42 cm, with a long, black beak slightly serrated and extended by a thick, black loral stripe that completely surrounds the eye with an amber iris. The bird, like all motmots, appears masked; a thin blue-turquoise eyebrow outlines the mask, the forehead and the cap are a magnificent rufous which gives its name to the Rufous-capped Motmot, the nape and mantle are olive-green while the back and coverings are green tending to khaki. The primary remiges are blue-turquoise. The chin is slightly tinged with rufous while the throat and chest are olive-green, two black points mark the chest and are a remarkable element of the Rufous-capped Motmot like all motmots. A wide light rufous band marks the ventral part under the chest, the abdomen turning again to blue-green, the outer rectrices are grayish while the central rectrices retain a blue-to-blue-green hue, it should be noted that the Rufous-capped Motmot does not have racket tips at the end of the tail. There is no dimorphism, juveniles, rarely observed, are duller than their parents.