Red-headed trogon

Harpactes erythrocephalus

Photo by Jainy Kuriakose (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
red-headed trogon (en); republicano-de-cabeça-vermelha (pt); trogon à tête rouge (fr); trogón cabecirrojo (es); rotkopftrogon (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Trogoniformes
Family Trogonidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Asia, from northern India and Nepal east to southern China, and south through Indochina into Malaysia and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra.

Size:
These birds are 31-35 cm long and weigh 75-110 g.

Habitat:
The red-headed trogon is only found in moist tropical forests, in both lowland and mountainous areas. They occur at altitudes of 250-2.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly hunt large insects and other arthropods, including grasshoppers, stick insects, cicadas, millipedes, flies, beetles, centipedes and woodlice. They also take the leaves of bamboo and other plants, and berries.

Breeding:
Red-headed trogons breed in February-August. They are monogamous and both sexes help excavate the nest cavity in a rotten tree stump or other tree part. There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be fairly common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

Narina trogon

Apaloderma narina

Photo by Bo Jerkeman (iGoTerra)

Common name:
Narina trogon (en); republicano (pt); trogon Narina (fr); trogón de Narina (es); Narinatrogon (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Trogoniformes
Family Trogonidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Guinea east to southern Sudan and Ethiopia, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and through southern Mozambique into south-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 29-34 cm long and weigh 50-95 g.

Habitat:
The Narina trogon is mostly found in tropical rainforests, gallery forests and dry savannas, but also use scrublands, second growths, alien Eucalyptus plantations and rural gardens. They are present at altitudes of 50-3.500 m.

Diet:
They mainly hunt invertebrates, such as caterpillars and adult moths, mantids, cicadas, tree grasshoppers, beetles, termite alates and spiders. Rarely, they also take chameleons and skinks.

Breeding:
Narina trogons are monogamous and can breed all year round. They nest in an unlined natural tree cavity, where the female lays 2-4 eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 16-21 days. The chicks are mainly fed by the male and fledge 25-28 days after hatching, but will remain with their parents for several months even after being able to forage on their own.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is reported to be locally uncommon but widespread. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Eared quetzal

Euptilotis neoxenus

Photo by Steven Whitebread (Flickr)

Common name:
eared quetzal (en); quetzal-orelhudo (pt); quetzal oreillard (fr); trogón silbador (es); haarbüscheltrogon (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Trogoniformes
Family Trogonidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Mexico, being found in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range and the adjacent Pacific slope.

Size:
These birds are 32-35,5 cm long and weigh 100-150 g.

Habitat:
The eared quetzal is found in the pine, pine-oak, and pine-evergreen forests, mostly in the upper and middle storeys of forest, particularly along watercourses in canyons and riparian corridors. They are present at altitudes of 1.800-3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and fruits, namely caterpillars and other insect larvae, katydids, moths, and blackberries and madrone berries.

Breeding:
Eared quetzals are monogamous and breed in June-October. They nest in either natural tree cavities or old woodpecker nests, 7-15 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 greenish-blue eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 22 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 29-31 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 20.000-50.000 individuals. The population is believed to be stable, but widespread forest destruction adversely affect the species through the removal of trees with suitable nesting cavities. Competition for cavities may be a limiting factor in breeding success.

Slaty-tailed trogon

Trogon massena

Photo by Thore Noernberg (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
slaty-tailed trogon (en); surucuá-de-cauda-escura (pt); trogon de Masséna (fr); trogón grande (es); schieferschwanztrogon (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Trogoniformes
Family Trogonidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico, through Central America and into western Colombia and north-western Ecuador.

Size:
The slaty-tailed trogon is 30 cm long and weighs around 145 g.

Habitat:
They are mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical rainforests, but also in mangroves, secondary forests and plantations, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
Slaty-tailed trogons feed on insects and other arthropods, as well as fruits. To a lesser extent they also take small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs.

Breeding:
These birds are monogamous. They nest in a hollow excavated into a rotting tree trunk or a termite nests, 3-15 m above the ground. There the female lays 3 white or pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 16-21 days. The chicks are fed insects by both parents and fledge 3-4 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The slaty-tailed trogon has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 20.000-50.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. Even though this species is not threatened at present, they are sensitive to habitat destruction and may face population declines in the future as deforestation affects tropical forests within their range.

Mountain trogon

Trogon mexicanus

(Photo from Chiapas Birding Adventures)

Common name:
mountain trogon (en); surucuá-da-montanha (pt); trogon montagnard (fr); trogón mexicano (es); bronzetrogon (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Trogoniformes
Family Trogonidae


Range:
The mountain trogon is found in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.


Size:
These birds are 29-31 cm long and weigh 70 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in moist mountain forests, preferring pine-evergreen and pine-oak woodlands at altitudes of 1.200-3.500 m. Sometimes these birds can be found in coffee plantations.


Diet:
They eat both insects and fruits.


Breeding:
Mountain trogons nest in cavities or rotten stumps, often near the ground. The female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated for 18-19 days. The chicks fledge 14-16 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and its global population is estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Guianan trogon

Trogon violaceus

Photo by Anselmo d'Affonseca (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

Guianan trogon (en); surucuá-violáceo (pt); trogon violacé (fr); surucuá violeta chico (es); veilchentrogon (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Trogoniformes

Family Trogonidae

Range:

This South American species is found in southern Venezuela, through the Guianas and into northern Brazil. It is also present in the island of Trinidad.

Size:

This small trogon is 23-25 cm long and weighs 56 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in low elevation humid forests. They tend to be found in the tree canopy of the forest interior but may also be present around clearings, forest edges, streams and rivers, and in tree plantations.

Diet:

Guianan trogons eat arthropods and small fruits, gleaning ants, locusts and spiders from foliage, but also attacking wasp nests.

Breeding:

These birds mostly nest in large arboreal wasp nests, but sometimes also in termite hills and ant nests. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated for 16-19 days. The chicks fledge about 17 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The Guianan trogon has a very large breeding range and is described as locally abundant. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to opening up of forested areas through logging, so this species is not threatened at present.

Resplendent quetzal

Pharomachrus mocinno

Photo by Matteo Piccinini (Flickr)

Common name:
resplendent quetzal (en); quetzal-resplandecente (pt); quetzal resplendissant (fr); quetzal mesoamericano (es); quetzal (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Trogoniformes
Family Trogonidae

Range:
Unlike the other quetzal species, which are only found in South America, the resplendent quetzal is an inhabitant of Central America, occuring from southern Mexico to western Panama.

Size:
The largest species in the trogon family, the resplendent quetzal measures 36 cm in lenght. The males have an impressive tail that can grow up to 64 cm. These birds have a wingspan of 40 cm and can weight up to 210 g.

Habitat:
The typical habitat are the cloudy mountains of Central America, where they can be found in the canopy and sub-canopy, in undisturbed, humid and epiphyte-laden forests. They require the presence of rotting trees, where they carve holes to nest. This species can also be found in vegetated ravines and cliffs, and in open areas with scattered trees adjacent to forests. They are present at altitudes of 900-3200 m.

Diet:
A specialized fruit eater, the resplendent quetzal may also include insects, small amphibians, lizards and snails in its diet. They mostly eat wild avocados and other fruits of the laurel family. They swallow the fruits whole, after which they regurgitate the pits, thus helping to disperse the trees.

Breeding:
The nests is built on a hole carved in a tree. The female lays 2 pale blue eggs which are incubated by both parents for 18 days. The male mostly incubates during the day, while the female incubates during the night. After hatching, the parents both take care of the young, feeding them pieces of fruits and small animals. It is not uncommon for the female to abandon the young near the end of the rearing period, leaving it up to the male to continue caring for their offspring until fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
With a total population estimated at 20.000-50.000, the resplendent quetzal is threatened by widespread deforestation in most of its range. This causes habitat fragmentation and destruction, especially at lower altitudes, where the species lives outside the breeding period. Direct persecution may still occur in some areas, particularly southern Mexico, but appears to have reduced.