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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%
10,201 Verified sightings at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
22,688 In all 38 parks
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
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 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Lesson's Motmot in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lesson's Motmot sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 10,201 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 412 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 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?
February and May
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Lesson's Motmot in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against about 50% in July to October, the lowest months.
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 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve the best place to see a Lesson's Motmot?
Among the best
Of the 38 parks where we can rate Lesson's Motmot sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 2nd at about 60%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 60%). All parks ranked.
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 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (10,201 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.
