Electron carinatum
Silhouette: Sofía Terán Sánchez · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The keel-billed motmot (Electron carinatum) is a Vulnerable species of bird in the motmot family Momotidae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The keel-billed motmot was formally described as Pionites carinatus. It was later referred to as Prionirhynchus carinatus but eventually was renamed Electron carinatum.
The keel-billed motmot is thought to be closely related to the broad-billed motmot (E. platyrhynchum); they are the only members of the genus Electron. The two may be conspecific. Their plumage is very different but their structure and vocalizations are very similar.
The keel-billed motmot is monotypic. The keel-billed motmot is 30.5 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in) long; one male weighed 65 g (2.3 oz). It is a smallish member of the motmot family. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a rufus forehead and a black "mask" with a turquoise-blue arc above it on an otherwise green face. Their upper parts are also green. Their chin is pale turquoise. Their underparts are mostly rufous in the northern part of their range becoming greenish to greenish cinnamon in the south. Their chest has a black... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Keel-billed Motmot sighting in Lago de Yojoa on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 226th most-seen of the 263 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Keel-billed Motmot in Lago de Yojoa on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Keel-billed 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.
5th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Keel-billed Motmot sightings, Lago de Yojoa ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 20%), Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 10%) and Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Momotidae
The closest relatives of the Keel-billed Motmot that you can see in Lago de Yojoa (family Momotidae, Motmots) are Turquoise-browed Motmot (about 40%) and Lesson's Motmot (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Keel-billed Motmot is recorded against all the birds logged in Lago de Yojoa (15 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.
