NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Russet-crowned Motmot
Momotus mexicanus Swainson, 1827
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The russet-crowned motmot (Momotus mexicanus) is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala.
It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned motmot is the most understudied species of motmot in the family Momotidae.
"Russet" refers to the reddish-brown colour of the bird's head and originates from the Latin russus meaning red.
Wikipedia contributors, Russet-crowned motmot; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:50:19.180958+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Momotus mexicanus Swainson, 1827
- Name authority
- Swainson, 1827
- Common name
- Russet-crowned Motmot
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Momotidae
- Genus
- Momotus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderCoraciiformes
- familyMomotidae
- genusMomotus Brisson, 1760
- speciesMomotus mexicanus Swainson, 1827
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Momotus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Andean MotmotMomotus aequatorialis Gould, 1858 | MomotidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Amazonian MotmotMomotus momota (Linnaeus, 1766) | MomotidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Trinidad MotmotMomotus bahamensis (Swainson, 1838) | MomotidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Blue-capped MotmotMomotus coeruliceps (Gould, 1836) | MomotidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesson's MotmotMomotus lessonii R. Lesson, 1842 | MomotidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Whooping MotmotMomotus subrufescens P. L. Sclater, 1853 | MomotidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=554542 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:43Z6P. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.