Blue-crowned Motmot - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

As presently defined, it is likely that the Blue-crowned Motmot includes several species level taxa. Especially the Andean (Highland) Motmot, Momotus aequatorialis (Gould, 1858), is frequently considered a separate species, but this treatment is no longer adopted here, following SACC (2005), which noted that the published evidence for treating it as a separate species is weak, but also hoped their decision would stimulate further research on the taxonomy of the M. momota complex. In addition to the Andean Motmot, several major groups have been identified: Amazonian Motmot (momota group; found in central and northern South America), Whooping or Tawny-bellied Motmot (subrufescens group; found in north-western South America and eastern Panama), Blue-diademed or Lesson's Motmot (lessonii group; found in most of Central America and eastern Mexico) and the 'true' Blue-crowned Motmot (coeruliceps; found in north-eastern Mexico). Additionally, the taxon from Trinidad and Tobago, misleadingly named bahamensis (there are no motmots in the Bahamas), is distinctive, and possibly worthy of species recognition. Based on measurements, plumage and voice most of these group were considered to be species by Stiles (2009). The only exception was coeruliceps, which was beyond the scope of that study.