[2] The Andean motmot is in general typical of its family: It is a large bird with a stout black bill and a long tail with a "racquet" tip.

The crown is black, bordered on the sides and rear with a "diadem" of various shades of blue.

[4] The Andean motmot is resident in the Andes from Colombia through Ecuador and Peru to La Paz Department in northwestern Bolivia.

In Colombia, it occurs in all three major cordilleras, but in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia it is found only along the eastern side of the Andes.

[4] The Andean motmot primarily inhabits humid montane forest, often near steams.