Electron (bird)

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

Electron
Broad-billed motmot (Electron platyrhynchum)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Momotidae
Genus:	Electron Gistel, 1848
Type species
Momotus platyrhynchus Leadbeater, 1829
Species
E. carinatum E. platyrhynchum

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Electron carinatum	Keel-billed motmot	Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico
	Electron platyrhynchum	Broad-billed motmot	Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

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

• Howell, Steve N. G.; Webb, Sophie (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press. pp. 439, 790–791. ISBN 0-19-854012-4.
• Jaeger, Edmund C. (1955). A Source-Book of Biological Names and Terms. Charles C. Thomas. pp. 90. ISBN 0-398-00916-3. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
• Peterson, Alan P. (Editor). 1999. Zoological Nomenclature Resource (Zoonomen). Accessed 2007-08-17.