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.