Justification This species has a relatively large and fragmented range, but it occurs at low densities and therefore requires large expanses of undisturbed habitat to sustain viable populations. It is classified as Vulnerable because its small population occurs in one of the most threatened habitats in Central America, and is consequently suspected to be in decline.

Family/Sub-family Momotidae

Species name author (Du Bus & Gisignies, 1847)

Taxonomic source(s) AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification 32 cm. Strikingly plumaged bird. Green crowned, tinged buffy. Chestnut frontal blotch. Broad, bright blue supercilium. Black lores, around eye and auriculars. Mostly bright green above and on throat. Below lighter green tinged with cinnamon in lower breast and belly. Black spot in mid-breast. Green tail with blue tips plus blue racquets edged black. Voice Loud, far-carrying and low pitched nasal cuaet cuaet cadack⁷. This call, one of at least seven that have been identified, is very similar to that of Broad-billed Motmot E. platyrhynchum⁷. Also a long, nasal, corvid-like caaaaw⁸. Hints In January-March, it is readily detected as the males are on territory and stridently vocalising, but beware confusion with E. platyrhynchum in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

2,500-9,999

decreasing

36,200 km²

No

Range & population Electron carinatum has been recorded at a relatively small number of localities scattered over an extensive range in Central America, generally on the Caribbean slope of south Mexico, south Belize, Guatemala, north and central Honduras, north-central Nicaragua, and north-central Costa Rica^1,2,4. Records of two individuals from La Tirimbina, Costa Rica, in February 2004 may be the southernmost for this species¹⁰. Most records have been of pairs or single birds, and it has been recorded only once at most localities. The exceptions to this are recent observations in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica but, even at these sites, it occurs at a very low density and is generally considered rare to uncommon^4,6,7. In Belize, records are concentrated in the southern Greater Maya Mountain region of the country⁸, and most populations are small and many are significantly isolated⁴. In Costa Rica, there have been several recent records, mostly in Volcán Arenal area, from private reserves and the national park^7,10. It appears to have declined in range in Mexico and parts of Guatemala, and there are very few recent records in Mexico^3,9. Mixed pairs of E. carinatum and Broad-billed Motmot Electron platyrhynchum have been documented in Costa Rica^7,10 with records at three different sites in the Arenal area¹⁰.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It occurs in humid lowland and montane forest up to 760 m, but there are three records at 1,220-1,555 m in Honduras⁴. In Costa Rica, it is restricted to foothill and adjacent lowland primary and old secondary forests^5,7. In Belize, it has been recorded most densely in an area of steep terrain intersected by many seasonal streams⁴. Nests in Costa Rica have been found in road and trail banks⁷.

Threats In Mexico, all suitable habitat is being cleared at an alarming rate, and in Costa Rica the foothills have been heavily deforested since 1980⁵. Most habitat loss is the result of human settlement and conversion to subsistence agriculture, especially banana plantations. In Costa Rica, most of the habitat lost has been cut during logging activities, and following this the cleared land has been used for cattle grazing and subsequently converted to extensive pineapple plantations⁷. Protected areas where the species occurs in Guatemala are threatened by forest fires, illegal logging and conversion to agriculture¹¹. Its habitat in Guatemala is generally threatened by clearance for small-scale cultivation, large-scale cattle farming and banana plantations, driven by a rapidly growing human population¹¹. In Belize, at present there are no immediate threats or human population centres in the area in which the species's population is concentrated⁸.

Conservation measures underway There are several protected areas where it has previously been recorded, but there are very few with recent sightings and information on remaining habitat is often lacking. The exceptions are Belize⁴ and Guatemala¹¹, where the majority of populations are within reserves. However, protected areas in Guatemala face threats owing to management deficiencies¹¹.

Conservation measures proposed Identify and survey remaining forest to assess the species's status. Survey all historical sites and those with recent reports, such as in Guatemala and Honduras, the Honduras-Nicaragua border area, the extensive Atlantic forest areas of Nicaragua and the region around Lake Arenal, Monteverde and Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica⁴. Gather all ad-hoc sightings of the species and encourage the submission of records. Use survey data and sightings to estimate the total population size. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation at known and potential localities. Improve management of protected areas in Guatemala.

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. AOU (1998). 2. M. Bonta in litt. (1999). 3. Gómez de Silva (2002). 4. Miller and Miller (1996). 5. F. G. Stiles in litt. (1999). 6. Eisermann (2005). 7. J. E. Sanchez et al. in litt. (2007). 8. B.W. and C. M. Miller in litt. (2007). 9. H. Gómez de Silva in litt. (2007). 10. R. Garrigues in litt. (2007). 11. K. Eisermann in litt. (2007).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.

Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoía y la categoría de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicación.

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), David Capper (BirdLife International), Simon Stuart (Conservation International), Tom Stuart (BirdLife International), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International)

Contributors Esteban Biamonte (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica), Mark Bonta (Delta State University), Juan Criado (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica), Knut Eisermann (PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program), Héctor Gómez de Silva (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Bruce W. Miller, Carolyn M. Miller, César Sánchez (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica), Julio E. Sánchez (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica), Luis Sandoval (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica), F. Gary Stiles (Universidad Nacional de Colombia), Jim Zook (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica)

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Electron carinatum. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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