The Toh bird, also known as the Motmot, is one of the most iconic birds of the Yucatán Peninsula. Famous for its striking blue-green plumage and distinctive pendulum-shaped tail, the Toh is a common sight near cenotes, where it often nests and feeds.
According to Mayan legend, this bird was once proud and lazy. One day, the region’s bird community began preparing for a great storm, gathering insects and worms. The Toh pretended to help, but escaped to settle among some rocks and fell a sleep.
After the storm, it sat among the others and complained about how tiring the work had been. The other birds laughed at the Toh and pointed at its tail. During his nap, his tail had stuck out of its hiding place, and the storm wreaked havoc, leaving only two long, ugly feathers hanging where his beautiful tail once was. The Toh felt deeply ashamed, and instead of facing the other birds, he climbed down from the trees and escaped to the underworld.
There he found his true purpose: to guide travelers to the cenotes, sacred water sources and spiritual connections for the ancient Mayans. For this reason, today he is considered a mystical symbol and a natural guardian of these sacred sites.
