Electron (bird)

Electron is a genus of the motmots, a family of Neotropical near passerine birds. The genus has two species:

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Electron carinatumKeel-billed motmotBelize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico
Electron platyrhynchumBroad-billed motmotBolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

Electron
Broad-billed motmot (Electron platyrhynchum)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Momotidae
Genus: Electron
Gistel, 1848
Type species
Momotus platyrhynchus[1]
Leadbeater, 1829
Species

E. carinatum
E. platyrhynchum


Both inhabit humid evergreen tropical forest. Both occur in Central America, and the broad-billed motmot occurs in a large region of South America as well.

They are distinguished from other motmots by their much wider bills. The rackets on their tails are less dramatic than those of many other motmot species and may be absent. The species are very similar except in adult plumage (but the adult keel-billed resembles the juvenile broad-billed). A mixed pair apparently courting has been observed (Howell and Webb 1995).

The name Electron is a Latinization of the Ancient Greek word for amber, and can mean "bright" in scientific names (Jaeger 1978). The name was given 46 years before an elementary particle was named electron.

References
  1. "Momotidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
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