Every visitor loves the Mot-Mot. These magpie-sized birds have striking plumage of green upperparts, black crowns ringed with bright blue, russet under-parts and blue racquet-tipped tails. It's a pity that you can't see the gorgeous and unique tail in this photo - this guy had two racquet-tips.
They are a friendly bird and can become quite tame with a little time and patience. They love CHEESE so if you want to bribe one, that's the way.
This friendly Mot-Mot would visit us on the main balcony of our villa several times a day. By leaving out bits of cheese and moving each morsel closer and closer, we were eventually able to get him to take it from the arm of my chair. Another three days and I reckon I could have got him to take it from my hand.
A day after this photo was taken, we were treated to the unique, if somewhat voyeuristic, sight of this Mot-Mot mounting Mrs Mot in the bushes, 18 inches below the balcony, just behind me in the photo.
