The Mayan Fable of the Toh Bird
The strange bird that guides lost adventurers to freshwater in the tropical rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula
The turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa), also known as Toh bird or Pájaro Reloj (clock bird) in Mexico, is a medium-sized bird of the Momotidae family.
This bird is characterized by its colorful plumage and its long tail with disk-shaped feathers at the end that swings like a pendulum clock [check out this video].
It commonly inhabits the tropical ecosystems of the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America, from southeast Mexico to Costa Rica.
In the tropical rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Toh bird is known to only live near and inside caves and cenotes.
Since the Yucatan Peninsula is a huge limestone platform, it has no surface runoff. The only access to freshwater is through the karst features and underground passages that leave the aquifer exposed [1].
Because it is not easy finding surface water sources, and Toh bird prefers to inhabit places near the cenotes, some people believe that it guides the lost adventurers so they can find hidden natural wells inside the karst structures.
You only need to follow the song of the Toh bird to find freshwater.
The fable of the Toh bird is an ancient Mayan story. It says that this bird guides us to water sources as a way of showing humility.
The fable starts telling us that in the past, this bird had a larger, more delicate, and brighter tail of many colors.
At that time, the Toh bird was part of the animal royalty and he was so beautiful, that everyone considered him superior. As a consequence, he became extremely conceited.
The Toh bird always said that he couldn’t work for fear of ruining his beautiful tail, and so, other birds should bring him food, water, and a nest to sleep in every day.
The Toh bird did nothing but enjoy his royal privileges.
The fable also says that this bird was also extremely petulant. Although the other birds struggled to please him, the Tho bird never seemed to be satisfied.
One day, the Mottled owl (Ciccaba virgata), the wisest of all birds, said that a terrifying storm was coming. Rain, thunder, and lightning will strike and cause severe damage.
Birds would need to build a shelter in order to survive the storm.
Birds of all sizes quickly cooperated to build shelters for everyone.
The King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) was appointed boss.
The bigger birds like the Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), the Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula), the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), and the Elegant Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus) chopped and carried the bigger branches.
The middle and smaller birds such as the Centzontle (Mimus gilvus), the Yucatan jay (Cyanocorax yucatanicus), the Yucatan Woodpecker (Melanerpes pygmaeus), the White-fronted Parrot (Amazona albifrons), the Zanate (Quiscalus mexicanus), and the Gartered Trogon (Trogon caligatus) brought leaves and grass.
All of the birds got to work. Well… almost all of them.
The Toh bird only waited for the other birds to finish building his shelter. Annoyed, the other birds asked him to help too.
Fearing that he would be left without a shelter, he joined the workers.
However, the Toh bird did not help much because he had never worked before and he quickly became very tired.
The clouds began to look blacker as the storm approached…
The Toh bird thought that he could find a better place without the need to work. When the rest of the birds were distracted by the storm, he quickly hid in a nearby cave.
Once inside, he fell asleep. However, the cave was too small and the Toh bird didn’t realize that a part of his tail was outside.
The storm lasted a whole day.
When the sun shone again, all the birds were able to come out of their shelters.
The Toh bird was happy and felt even more superior to the other birds because he had survived the storm effortlessly.
Proud of himself, he returned to the royal garden to begin his day as usual. However, when he arrived with the other birds, everyone started laughing at him.
The storm ruined the Toh bird’s beautiful tail! There was nothing left but two thin feathers with tufts at the end.
Embarrassed, he returned to the cave and never left it again.
From that day, as punishment and a reminder of his arrogance and selfishness, the Toh bird promised to help any animal that needed water and guide it to the caves and cenotes where they could take refuge.
This Mayan fable aims to teach young people the importance of being humble and kind to those around them.
I put the scientific names of some common bird species of the Yucatan Peninsula. Remember that this is a popular story and so, you may find some differences depending on which version you read.
You can find more information about Tho bird’s fable in the following links: [2, 3, 4].
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