Electron (bird)

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Electron (bird)}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Broad-billed motmot (02760).jpg

| image_caption = Broad-billed motmot (Electron platyrhynchum)

| taxon = Electron

| authority = Gistel, 1848

| type_species = Momotus platyrhynchus{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=88 |title= Momotidae |author= |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-25}}

| type_species_authority = Leadbeater, 1829

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision =

E. carinatum

E. platyrhynchum

}}

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

class="wikitable"
Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
120px	Electron carinatum	Keel-billed motmot	Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico
120px	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.