
Lesson's Motmot
Momotus lessonii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMomotidae (Motmots)
- GenusMomotus (Blue-crowned and Russet-crowned Motmots)
- SpeciesMomotus lessonii (Lesson's Motmot)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
About the Lesson's Motmot
Lesson's motmot (Momotus lessonii) or the blue-diademed motmot, is a colorful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of southern Mexico to western Panama. This species and the blue-capped motmot, whooping motmot, Trinidad motmot, Amazonian motmot, and Andean motmot were all considered conspecific.
The central crown is black and surrounded by a blue band. There is a black eyemask. The call is a low owl-like ooo-doot. These birds often sit still, and in their dense forest habitat can be difficult to see, despite their size. They eat small prey such as insects and lizards, and will also regularly take fruit.
Like most of the Coraciiformes, motmots nest in tunnels in banks, laying about three or four white eggs. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lesson's Motmot in El Triunfo
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 3 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 4 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Universeum | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 4 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Closest Relatives at El Triunfo
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Lesson's Motmot in El Triunfo?
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lesson's Motmot sighting in El Triunfo on a given day, based on 104 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 221 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Lesson's Motmot in El Triunfo?
April–May, July and October–November
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lesson's Motmot in El Triunfo on a given day, against about 30% in January, the lowest month. June has too few records to rate.
What time of day is best to see a Lesson's Motmot?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesson's Motmot sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is El Triunfo the best place to see a Lesson's Motmot?
3rd of 38
Of the 38 parks where we can rate Lesson's Motmot sightings, El Triunfo ranks 3rd at about 50%. The best odds are in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 60%) and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Costa Rica, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Lesson's Motmot live in El Triunfo?
Same family: Momotidae
The closest relatives of the Lesson's Motmot that you can see in El Triunfo (family Momotidae, Motmots) are Tody Motmot (about 30%), Turquoise-browed Motmot (about 30%) and Blue-throated Motmot (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Lesson's Motmot sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesson's Motmot is recorded against all the birds logged in El Triunfo (104 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.