SMALL-BILLED MOTMOT 



Colorado forest. To this bird I also attribute 

 a slow, monotonous note like wahk, wahk, wahk, 

 repeated again and again. 



2. Momotus subrufescens conexus 

 (Thayer and Bangs) 

 Small-billed Motmot 



Sexes alike. Length, 386 mm. (15.20 in.); 

 tail, 224 mm. (8.80 in.). Front of forehead and 

 patch through eye ending in a point behind ear 

 coverts, velvety black; front of crown clear light 

 greenish blue (turquoise) shading to violet on 

 sides of crown and across nape; remainder of 

 crown black; remaining upper parts plain parrot 

 green tinged with tawny chestnut, the greater 

 part of the outer wing quills light bluish green; 

 tail bluish green, peacock blue terminally ; a con- 

 spicuous line of pale turquoise and violet blue 

 feathers below cheeks; chin pale bluish green; 

 remaining under parts olive tawny shading to 

 tawny on abdomen. Bill black, feet flesh color; 

 middle tail feathers denuded to form racquet tips. 



Unlike Baryphthengus and Electron, this is a 

 bird of the dryer thickets and jungles along the 

 Pacific coast, not of the heavy forest, although 

 like them it is inactive in habits and easy to 

 approach. In May, 1924, not far from Old 

 Panama, my attention was attracted by some 

 black-winged ants coming out of a dense thicket 

 which was guarded by bull thorn bushes, the 

 home of a particularly vicious little fire-ant, 

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