Trogon
Encyclopedia
The trogons and quetzals are bird
s in the order
Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family contains 39 species in eight genera
. The fossil
record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the mid-Eocene
. They might constitute a member of the basal radiation of the order Coraciiformes
. The word "trogon" is Greek
for "nibbling" and refers to the fact that these birds gnaw holes in trees to make their nests.
Trogons are residents of tropical forests worldwide, with the greatest diversity
in the Neotropics. The genus Apaloderma contains the three Africa
n species
, Harpactes and Apalharpactes are Asia
n, and the remaining four genera are found in Central
and South America
.
They feed on insect
s and fruit
, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons are generally not migratory
, although some species undertake partial local movements.
Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. They are the only type of animal with a heterodactyl toe arrangement.
The trogons are insectivorous, usually hunting from a perch. They nest in holes dug into trees or termite nests, laying 2-4 white or pastel-coloured eggs.
. The unique arrangement of the toes on the foot (see morphology and flight) has led many to consider the trogons to have no close relatives, and to place them in their own order, possibly with the similarly atypical mousebird
s as their closest relatives.
The family is thought to have an Old World origin (but see Moyle (2005) for an alternative theory), notwithstanding the current richness of the family, which is more diverse in the Neotropical New World. The earlist formaly described fossile speciment is a cranium from the Fur Formation
lover-eocene
in Denmark (54 mya). Other trogoniform fossils have been found in the Messel pit
deposits from the mid-Eocene
in Germany (49 mya)., in Oligocene rocks from Switzerland and Miocene France. The oldest New World fossil of a trogon is from the comparatively recent Pleistocene. DNA evidence seems to support an African origin for the trogons, with the African genus Apaloderma
seemingly basal in the family, and the other two lineages, the Asian and American, breaking off between 20-36 million years ago. The trogons are split into three subfamilies, each reflecting one of these splits, Aplodermatinae is the African subfamily and contains a single genus, Apaloderma; Harpactinae is the Asian subfamily and contains two genera, Harpactes and Apalharpactes. Apalharpactes, consisting of two species in the Java and Sumatra, has only recently been accepted as a separate genus from Harpactes.
The remaining subfamily, the Neotropical Trogoninae, contains the remaining four genera, Trogon, Priotelus, Pharomachrus and Eupilotis. The two Caribbean species of Priotelus were formerly different ones (Temnotrogon on Hispaniola), and are extremely ancient. The two quetzal genera, Pharomachrus and Eupilotis are possibly derived from the final and most numerous genus of trogons in the Neotropics, Trogon. A 2008 study of the genetics of Trogon suggested the genus originated in Central America and radiated into South America after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama
(as part of the Great American Interchange
), thus making trogons relatively recent arrivals in South America.
, reaching the south of the United States
specifically southern Arizona and the surrounding area. The Narina Trogon
of Africa is slightly exceptional in that it utilises a wider range of habitats than any other trogon, ranging from dense forest to fairly open savannah, and from the Equator to southern South Africa
. It is the most widespread and successful of all the trogons. The Eared Quetzal
of Mexico is also able to use more xeric
habitats, but preferentially inhabits forests. Most other species are more restricted in their habitat, with several species being restricted to undisturbed primary forest. Within forests they tend to be found in the mid story, occasionally in the canopy.
Some species, particularly the quetzals, are adapted to cooler montane forest. There are a number of insular species; these include a number of species found in the Greater Sundas
, one species in the Philippines
as well as two monophyletic genera endemic to Cuba
and Hispaniola
respectively. Outside of South Asia and the Caribbean, however, trogons are generally absent from islands, especially oceanic ones.
Trogons are generally sedentary, with no species known to undertake long migrations
. A small number of species are known to make smaller migratory movements, particularly montane species which move to lower altitudes during different seasons. This has been demonstrated using radio tracking in the Resplendent Quetzal in Costa Rica
and evidence has been accumulated for a number of other species. The Narina Trogon of Africa is thought to undertake some localised short distance migrations over parts of its range, for example birds of Zimbabwe's plateau savannah depart after the breeding season. A complete picture of these movements is however lacking. Trogons are difficult to study as their thick tarsi (feet bones) make ringing
studies difficult.
_-_pair.jpg)
The trogons as a family are fairly uniform in appearance, they have compact bodies with long tails (very long in the case of the quetzals), and short necks. Trogons range in size from the 23 cm, 40 gram Scarlet-rumped Trogon
to the 40 cm, 210 gram Resplendent Quetzal
(not including the male quetzal's 3 foot (0.9144 m) tail streamers). Their legs and feet are weak and short, and trogons are essentially unable to walk beyond a very occasional shuffle along a branch. They are even incapable of turning around on a branch without using their wings. The ratio of leg muscle to body weight in trogons is only 3 percent, the lowest known ratio of any bird. The arrangement of toes on the feet of trogons is also unique amongst birds, although essentially resembling the zygodactyl’s two forward two backward arrangement of parrots and other near-passerines, the actual toes are arranged with usually inner hallux being the outer hind toe, an arrangement that is referred to as heterodactylous. The strong bill is short and the gape wide, particularly in the fruit eating quetzals, with a slight hook at the end. There is also a notch at the end of the bill and many species have slight serrations in the mandibles. The skin is exceptionally tender, making preparation of study skins
difficult for museum curators. The skeletons of trogons are surprisingly slender, particularly the skulls which are very thin. The plumage
of many species is iridescent, although most of the Asian species are not. The African trogons are generally green on the back with red bellies. The New World trogons similarly have green or deep blue upperparts but are more varied in their lowerparts. The Asian species tend towards red underparts and brown backs.
The wings are short but strong, with the wing muscle ratio being around 22% of the body weight. In spite of the strength of their flight
, trogons do not fly often or for great distances, generally flying no more than a few hundred metres at a time. Only the montane species tend to make long distance flights. Shorter flights tend to be direct and swift, but longer flights are slightly undulating. Their flight can be surprisingly silent (for observers), although that of a few species is reportedly quite noisy.
taken whilst brooding young by a margay
.
Prey is almost always obtained on the wing. The most commonly employed foraging technique is a sally-glean
flight, where a trogon flies from an observation perch to a target on another branch or in foliage. Once there the birds hovers or stalls and snatches the item before returning to its perch to consume the item. This type of foraging is commonly used by some types of bird to obtain insect prey; in trogons and quetzals it is also used to pluck fruit from trees. Insect prey may also be taken on the wing, with the trogon pursuing flying insects in a similar manner to drongo
s and Old World flycatcher
s. Frogs, lizards and large insects on the ground may also be pounced on from the air. More rarely some trogons may shuffle along a branch to obtain insects, insect eggs and very occasionally nestling birds. Violaceous Trogon
s will consume wasps and wasp larvae encountered while digging nests.
Trogons are territorial
and monogamous
. Males will respond quickly to playbacks of their calls and will repel other members of the same species and even other hole-nesting species from around their nesting sites. Males attract females by singing, and, in the case of the Resplendent Quetzal, undertaking display flights. Some species have been observed in small flocks of 3–12 individuals prior to and sometimes during the breeding season, calling and chasing each other, but the function of these flocks is unclear.
Trogons are cavity nesters
. Nests are dug into rotting wood or termite nests, with one species, the Violaceous Trogon
, nesting in wasp
nests. Nest cavities can either be deep upward slanting tubes that lead to fully enclosed chambers, or much shallower open niches (from which the bird is visible). Nests are dug with the beak, incidentally giving the family its name. Nest digging may be undertaken by the male alone or by both sexes. In the case of nests dug into tree trunks, the wood must be strong enough not to collapse but soft enough to dig out. Trogons have been observed landing on dead tree trunks and slapping the wood with their tails, presumably to test the firmness.
The nests of trogons are thought to usually be unlined. Between two to four eggs are laid in a nesting attempt. These are round and generally glossy white or lightly coloured (buff, grey, blue or green), although they get increasingly dirty during incubation
. Both parents incubate the eggs (except in the case of the Bare-cheeked Trogon
, where apparently the male takes no part), with the male taking one long incubation stint a day and the female incubating the rest of the time. Incubation seems to begin after the last egg is laid. The incubation period varies by species, usually lasting between 16–19 days. On hatching the chicks are altricial
, blind and naked. The chicks acquire feathers rapidly in some of the montane species, in the case of the Mountain Trogon
in a week, but more slowly in lowland species like the Black-headed Trogon
, which may take twice as long. The nestling period varies by species and size, with smaller species generally taking 16 to 17 days to fledge
, whereas larger species may take as long as 30 days, although 23–25 days is more typical.
. Trogons are nevertheless popular birds with birdwatchers
, and there is a modest ecotourism
industry in particular to view quetzals in Central America.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family contains 39 species in eight genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the mid-Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
. They might constitute a member of the basal radiation of the order Coraciiformes
Coraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. The word "trogon" is Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
for "nibbling" and refers to the fact that these birds gnaw holes in trees to make their nests.
Trogons are residents of tropical forests worldwide, with the greatest diversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
in the Neotropics. The genus Apaloderma contains the three Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, Harpactes and Apalharpactes are Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, and the remaining four genera are found in Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
They feed on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons are generally not migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, although some species undertake partial local movements.
Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. They are the only type of animal with a heterodactyl toe arrangement.
The trogons are insectivorous, usually hunting from a perch. They nest in holes dug into trees or termite nests, laying 2-4 white or pastel-coloured eggs.
Evolution and taxonomy
The position of the trogons within the class Aves has been a long-standing mystery. A variety of relations have been suggested, including the parrots, cuckoos, toucans, jacamars and puffbirds, rollers, owls and nightjars. More recent morphological evidence has suggested a relationship with the CoraciiformesCoraciiformes
The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...
. The unique arrangement of the toes on the foot (see morphology and flight) has led many to consider the trogons to have no close relatives, and to place them in their own order, possibly with the similarly atypical mousebird
Mousebird
The mousebirds are a small group of birds which have no known close affinities to other groups, though they and the parrots and cockatoos may be closer to each other than to other birds. The mousebirds are therefore given order status as Coliiformes...
s as their closest relatives.
The family is thought to have an Old World origin (but see Moyle (2005) for an alternative theory), notwithstanding the current richness of the family, which is more diverse in the Neotropical New World. The earlist formaly described fossile speciment is a cranium from the Fur Formation
Fur Formation
Essentially the Fur Formation is defined as a clayey diatomite with a lage number of volcanic ash layers.The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs...
lover-eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
in Denmark (54 mya). Other trogoniform fossils have been found in the Messel pit
Messel pit
The Messel Pit is a disused quarry near the village of Messel, about southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Bituminous shale was mined there. Because of its abundance of fossils, it has significant geological and scientific importance...
deposits from the mid-Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
in Germany (49 mya)., in Oligocene rocks from Switzerland and Miocene France. The oldest New World fossil of a trogon is from the comparatively recent Pleistocene. DNA evidence seems to support an African origin for the trogons, with the African genus Apaloderma
Apaloderma
Apaloderma is a genus of African birds in the Trogonidae family.It contains the following species:* Narina Trogon * Bare-cheeked Trogon * Bar-tailed Trogon...
seemingly basal in the family, and the other two lineages, the Asian and American, breaking off between 20-36 million years ago. The trogons are split into three subfamilies, each reflecting one of these splits, Aplodermatinae is the African subfamily and contains a single genus, Apaloderma; Harpactinae is the Asian subfamily and contains two genera, Harpactes and Apalharpactes. Apalharpactes, consisting of two species in the Java and Sumatra, has only recently been accepted as a separate genus from Harpactes.
The remaining subfamily, the Neotropical Trogoninae, contains the remaining four genera, Trogon, Priotelus, Pharomachrus and Eupilotis. The two Caribbean species of Priotelus were formerly different ones (Temnotrogon on Hispaniola), and are extremely ancient. The two quetzal genera, Pharomachrus and Eupilotis are possibly derived from the final and most numerous genus of trogons in the Neotropics, Trogon. A 2008 study of the genetics of Trogon suggested the genus originated in Central America and radiated into South America after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
(as part of the Great American Interchange
Great American Interchange
The Great American Interchange was an important paleozoogeographic event in which land and freshwater fauna migrated from North America via Central America to South America and vice versa, as the volcanic Isthmus of Panama rose up from the sea floor and bridged the formerly separated continents...
), thus making trogons relatively recent arrivals in South America.
Distribution and habitat
The majority of trogons are birds of tropical and subtropical forests. They have a cosmopolitan distribution in the worlds wet tropics, being found in the Americas, Africa and Asia. A few species are distributed into the temperate zone, with one species, the Elegant TrogonElegant Trogon
The Elegant Trogon, Trogon elegans , is a near passerine bird in the trogon family. It breeds from southeasternmost Arizona in the United States to northwestern Costa Rica. It occasionally is found as a vagrant in southeasternmost and western Texas.It is a resident of the lower levels of semi-arid...
, reaching the south of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
specifically southern Arizona and the surrounding area. The Narina Trogon
Narina Trogon
The Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, is a medium-sized , largely green forest bird in the Trogonidae family, the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of three Apaloderma trogons...
of Africa is slightly exceptional in that it utilises a wider range of habitats than any other trogon, ranging from dense forest to fairly open savannah, and from the Equator to southern South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is the most widespread and successful of all the trogons. The Eared Quetzal
Eared Quetzal
The Eared Quetzal , also known as the Eared Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It breeds in streamside pine-oak forests and canyons in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico south to western Michoacán. It is sometimes seen as a vagrant to southeasternmost Arizona in...
of Mexico is also able to use more xeric
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
habitats, but preferentially inhabits forests. Most other species are more restricted in their habitat, with several species being restricted to undisturbed primary forest. Within forests they tend to be found in the mid story, occasionally in the canopy.
Some species, particularly the quetzals, are adapted to cooler montane forest. There are a number of insular species; these include a number of species found in the Greater Sundas
Greater Sunda Islands
The Greater Sunda Islands are a group of large islands within the Malay archipelago. Jawa , smallest but by far the most populous and important; Sumatera in the west, directly across the Strait of Malacca from Malaysia; Kalimantan, the Indonesian sector of large, compact, minicontinent Borneo; and...
, one species in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
as well as two monophyletic genera endemic to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
respectively. Outside of South Asia and the Caribbean, however, trogons are generally absent from islands, especially oceanic ones.
Trogons are generally sedentary, with no species known to undertake long migrations
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
. A small number of species are known to make smaller migratory movements, particularly montane species which move to lower altitudes during different seasons. This has been demonstrated using radio tracking in the Resplendent Quetzal in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and evidence has been accumulated for a number of other species. The Narina Trogon of Africa is thought to undertake some localised short distance migrations over parts of its range, for example birds of Zimbabwe's plateau savannah depart after the breeding season. A complete picture of these movements is however lacking. Trogons are difficult to study as their thick tarsi (feet bones) make ringing
Bird ringing
Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later...
studies difficult.
Morphology and flight
Scarlet-rumped Trogon
The Scarlet-rumped Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand....
to the 40 cm, 210 gram Resplendent Quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal
The Resplendent Quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a bird in the trogon family. It is found from southern Mexico to western Panama . It is well known for its colorful plumage. There are two subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m...
(not including the male quetzal's 3 foot (0.9144 m) tail streamers). Their legs and feet are weak and short, and trogons are essentially unable to walk beyond a very occasional shuffle along a branch. They are even incapable of turning around on a branch without using their wings. The ratio of leg muscle to body weight in trogons is only 3 percent, the lowest known ratio of any bird. The arrangement of toes on the feet of trogons is also unique amongst birds, although essentially resembling the zygodactyl’s two forward two backward arrangement of parrots and other near-passerines, the actual toes are arranged with usually inner hallux being the outer hind toe, an arrangement that is referred to as heterodactylous. The strong bill is short and the gape wide, particularly in the fruit eating quetzals, with a slight hook at the end. There is also a notch at the end of the bill and many species have slight serrations in the mandibles. The skin is exceptionally tender, making preparation of study skins
Bird collections
Bird collections are curated repositories of scientific specimens consisting of birds and their parts. They are a research resource for ornithology, the science of birds, and for other scientific disciplines in which information about birds is useful...
difficult for museum curators. The skeletons of trogons are surprisingly slender, particularly the skulls which are very thin. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of many species is iridescent, although most of the Asian species are not. The African trogons are generally green on the back with red bellies. The New World trogons similarly have green or deep blue upperparts but are more varied in their lowerparts. The Asian species tend towards red underparts and brown backs.
The wings are short but strong, with the wing muscle ratio being around 22% of the body weight. In spite of the strength of their flight
Bird flight
Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the world's bird species. Flight assists birds while feeding, breeding and avoiding predators....
, trogons do not fly often or for great distances, generally flying no more than a few hundred metres at a time. Only the montane species tend to make long distance flights. Shorter flights tend to be direct and swift, but longer flights are slightly undulating. Their flight can be surprisingly silent (for observers), although that of a few species is reportedly quite noisy.
Calls
The calls of trogons are generally loud and uncomplex, consisting of monosyllabic hoots and whistles delivered in varying patterns and sequences. The calls of the quetzals and the two Caribbean genera are the most complex. Amongst the Asian genera the Sumatran Trogon (Apalharpactes) has the most atypical call of any trogon, research has not yet established whether the closely related Javan Trogon has a similar call. The calls of the other Asian genus, Harpactes, are remarkably uniform. In addition to the territorial and breeding calls given by males and females during the breeding seasons, trogons have been recorded as having aggression calls given by competing males and alarm calls.Behaviour
Trogons are generally inactive outside of infrequent feeding flights. Amongst birdwatchers and biologists it has been noted that "[a]part from their great beauty [they] are notorious ... for their lack of other immediately engaging qualities". Their lack of activity is possibly a defence against predation; trogons on all continents have been reported to shift about on branches to always keep their less brightly coloured backs turned towards observers, whilst their heads, which like owls can turn through 180 degrees, keep a watch on the watcher. Trogons have reportedly been preyed upon by hawks and predatory mammals; one report was of a Resplendent QuetzalResplendent Quetzal
The Resplendent Quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a bird in the trogon family. It is found from southern Mexico to western Panama . It is well known for its colorful plumage. There are two subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m...
taken whilst brooding young by a margay
Margay
The Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...
.
Diet and feeding
Trogons feed principally on insects, other arthropods, and fruit; to a lesser extent some small vertebrates such as lizards are taken. Amongst the insect prey taken one of the more important types are caterpillars; along with cuckoos, trogons are one of the few birds groups to regularly prey upon them. The extent to which each food type is taken varies depending on geography and species. The three African trogons are exclusively insectivorous, whereas the Asian and American genera consume varying amounts of fruit. Diet is somewhat correlated with size, with larger species feeding more on fruit and smaller species focusing on insects.Prey is almost always obtained on the wing. The most commonly employed foraging technique is a sally-glean
Hawking (birds)
Hawking is a feeding strategy in birds involving catching flying insects in the air. The term usually refers to a technique of sallying out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch...
flight, where a trogon flies from an observation perch to a target on another branch or in foliage. Once there the birds hovers or stalls and snatches the item before returning to its perch to consume the item. This type of foraging is commonly used by some types of bird to obtain insect prey; in trogons and quetzals it is also used to pluck fruit from trees. Insect prey may also be taken on the wing, with the trogon pursuing flying insects in a similar manner to drongo
Drongo
The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics, the Dicruridae. This family was sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers...
s and Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
s. Frogs, lizards and large insects on the ground may also be pounced on from the air. More rarely some trogons may shuffle along a branch to obtain insects, insect eggs and very occasionally nestling birds. Violaceous Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
The Violaceous Trogon , also known as the Guianan Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It is found in humid forests in the Amazon Basin of South America and on the island of Trinidad, although some authorities have argued for treating the west Amazonian population as...
s will consume wasps and wasp larvae encountered while digging nests.
Breeding
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
and monogamous
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
. Males will respond quickly to playbacks of their calls and will repel other members of the same species and even other hole-nesting species from around their nesting sites. Males attract females by singing, and, in the case of the Resplendent Quetzal, undertaking display flights. Some species have been observed in small flocks of 3–12 individuals prior to and sometimes during the breeding season, calling and chasing each other, but the function of these flocks is unclear.
Trogons are cavity nesters
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
. Nests are dug into rotting wood or termite nests, with one species, the Violaceous Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
The Violaceous Trogon , also known as the Guianan Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It is found in humid forests in the Amazon Basin of South America and on the island of Trinidad, although some authorities have argued for treating the west Amazonian population as...
, nesting in wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
nests. Nest cavities can either be deep upward slanting tubes that lead to fully enclosed chambers, or much shallower open niches (from which the bird is visible). Nests are dug with the beak, incidentally giving the family its name. Nest digging may be undertaken by the male alone or by both sexes. In the case of nests dug into tree trunks, the wood must be strong enough not to collapse but soft enough to dig out. Trogons have been observed landing on dead tree trunks and slapping the wood with their tails, presumably to test the firmness.
The nests of trogons are thought to usually be unlined. Between two to four eggs are laid in a nesting attempt. These are round and generally glossy white or lightly coloured (buff, grey, blue or green), although they get increasingly dirty during incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
. Both parents incubate the eggs (except in the case of the Bare-cheeked Trogon
Bare-cheeked Trogon
The Bare-cheeked Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria....
, where apparently the male takes no part), with the male taking one long incubation stint a day and the female incubating the rest of the time. Incubation seems to begin after the last egg is laid. The incubation period varies by species, usually lasting between 16–19 days. On hatching the chicks are altricial
Altricial
Altricial, meaning "requiring nourishment", refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or being born...
, blind and naked. The chicks acquire feathers rapidly in some of the montane species, in the case of the Mountain Trogon
Mountain Trogon
The Mountain Trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It breeds in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. In El Salvador, it is only present as a vagrant nowadays; its only local breeding population is in the Cordillera Nahuaterique which was ceded to Honduras in 1992 .Its natural habitat...
in a week, but more slowly in lowland species like the Black-headed Trogon
Black-headed Trogon
The Black-headed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
, which may take twice as long. The nestling period varies by species and size, with smaller species generally taking 16 to 17 days to fledge
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
, whereas larger species may take as long as 30 days, although 23–25 days is more typical.
Relationship with humans
Trogons and quetzals are considered to be "among the most beautiful of birds", yet they are also often reclusive and seldom seen. Little is known about much of their biology, and much of what is known about them comes from the research of neotropical species by the ornithologist Alexander SkutchAlexander Skutch
Doctor Alexander Frank Skutch was a naturalist and writer. He published numerous scientific papers and books about birds and several books on philosophy. He is best remembered ornithologically for his pioneering work on helpers at the nest.-Biography:Alexander Skutch was born in Baltimore, Maryland...
. Trogons are nevertheless popular birds with birdwatchers
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, and there is a modest ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
industry in particular to view quetzals in Central America.
Species list
Phylogeny of Genera based on Moyle (2005)- Order Trogoniformes
- Family Trogonidae
- Genus ApalodermaApalodermaApaloderma is a genus of African birds in the Trogonidae family.It contains the following species:* Narina Trogon * Bare-cheeked Trogon * Bar-tailed Trogon...
- Narina TrogonNarina TrogonThe Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, is a medium-sized , largely green forest bird in the Trogonidae family, the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of three Apaloderma trogons...
, Apaloderma narina - Bare-cheeked TrogonBare-cheeked TrogonThe Bare-cheeked Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria....
, Apaloderma aequatoriale - Bar-tailed TrogonBar-tailed TrogonThe Bar-tailed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia...
, Apaloderma vittatum
- Narina Trogon
- Genus ApalharpactesApalharpactesApalharpactes is a genus of birds in the Trogonidae family. They are restricted to humid highland forest on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. Unlike all other Asian trogons, their plumage is mainly green above and yellow below. Compared to most trogons, the sexual dimorphism is relatively...
- Javan TrogonJavan TrogonThe Javan Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. The species was once lumped together with the Sumatran Trogon in a single species, the Blue-tailed Trogon, but differences in size, weight and plumage have led to the two being split...
, Apalharpactes reinwardtii - Sumatran TrogonSumatran TrogonThe Sumatran Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Javan Trogon under the common name Blue-tailed Trogon....
Apalharpactes mackloti
- Javan Trogon
- Genus HarpactesHarpactesHarpactes is a genus of birds in the Trogonidae family found in forests in South and Southeast Asia, extending into southernmost China. They are strongly sexually dimorphic, with females generally being duller than males. Their back is brownish, the tail is partially white , and males of most...
- Malabar TrogonMalabar TrogonThe Malabar Trogon is a species of bird in the trogon family. It is found in the forests of Sri Lanka and peninsular India. In India it is mainly found in the Western Ghats, hill forests of central India and in parts of the Eastern Ghats...
, Harpactes fasciatus - Red-naped TrogonRed-naped TrogonThe Red-naped Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Harpactes kasumba - Diard's TrogonDiard's TrogonThe Diard's Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Harpactes diardii - Philippine TrogonPhilippine TrogonThe Philippine Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Harpactes ardens - Whitehead's TrogonWhitehead's TrogonThe Whitehead's Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Harpactes whiteheadi - Cinnamon-rumped TrogonCinnamon-rumped TrogonThe Cinnamon-rumped Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand....
, Harpactes orrhophaeus - Scarlet-rumped TrogonScarlet-rumped TrogonThe Scarlet-rumped Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand....
, Harpactes duvaucelii - Red-headed TrogonRed-headed TrogonThe Red-headed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, Harpactes erythrocephalus - Orange-breasted TrogonOrange-breasted TrogonThe Orange-breasted Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.-Distribution and habitat:The trogon is found in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, Harpactes oreskios - Ward's TrogonWard's TrogonThe Ward's Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Vietnam.Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Harpactes wardi
- Malabar Trogon
- Genus PriotelusPriotelusPriotelus is a genus of birds in the Trogon family. It contains two species:*Cuban Trogon or Tocororo, Priotelus temnurus, endemic to the Caribbean island of Cuba...
- Cuban TrogonCuban TrogonThe Cuban Trogon or Tocororo is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Cuba, where it is also the national bird....
, Priotelus temnurus - Hispaniolan TrogonHispaniolan TrogonThe Hispaniolan Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is the national bird of Haiti. It is found on the island of Hispaniola shared by Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and what is now heavily...
, Priotelus roseigaster
- Cuban Trogon
- Genus TrogonTrogon (genus)Trogon is a genus of near passerine birds in the trogon family. Its members occur in forests and woodlands of the Americas, ranging from southeastern Arizona to northern Argentina....
- Black-headed TrogonBlack-headed TrogonThe Black-headed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
, Trogon melanocephalus - Citreoline TrogonCitreoline TrogonThe Citreoline Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest. Citreoline Trogons are yellow bellied....
, Trogon citreolus - Green-backed TrogonGreen-backed TrogonThe Green-backed Trogon , also known as the Amazonian White-tailed Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family. It is found in tropical humid forests in South America, where its range includes the Amazon, the Guiana Shield, Trinidad, and the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil. It formerly...
, Trogon viridis - White-tailed TrogonWhite-tailed TrogonThe White-tailed Trogon , also known as the Western White-tailed Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family. It is found in tropical humid forests of the Chocó, ranging from Panama, through western Colombia, to western Ecuador. It was formerly considered a subspecies of T...
, Trogon chionurus - Baird's TrogonBaird's TrogonThe Baird's Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Trogon bairdii - Violaceous TrogonViolaceous TrogonThe Violaceous Trogon , also known as the Guianan Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It is found in humid forests in the Amazon Basin of South America and on the island of Trinidad, although some authorities have argued for treating the west Amazonian population as...
, Trogon violaceus- Amazonian Trogon, Trogon (violaceus) ramonianus
- Gartered TrogonGartered TrogonThe Gartered Trogon , also known as the Northern Violaceous Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It is found in forests in east-central Mexico, south through Central America, to north-western South America...
, Trogon caligatus - Mountain TrogonMountain TrogonThe Mountain Trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It breeds in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. In El Salvador, it is only present as a vagrant nowadays; its only local breeding population is in the Cordillera Nahuaterique which was ceded to Honduras in 1992 .Its natural habitat...
, Trogon mexicanus - Chocó Trogon, Trogon comptus
- Collared TrogonCollared TrogonThe Collared Trogon, Trogon collaris, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It is found in the warmer parts of the Neotropics, and includes numerous subspecies, including T. c...
, Trogon collaris - Elegant TrogonElegant TrogonThe Elegant Trogon, Trogon elegans , is a near passerine bird in the trogon family. It breeds from southeasternmost Arizona in the United States to northwestern Costa Rica. It occasionally is found as a vagrant in southeasternmost and western Texas.It is a resident of the lower levels of semi-arid...
, Trogon elegans - Orange-bellied TrogonOrange-bellied TrogonThe Orange-bellied Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It has been considered a morph of the Collared Trogon, but most maintain its status as a separate species...
, Trogon aurantiiventris - Masked TrogonMasked TrogonThe Masked Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is fairly common in humid highland forests in South America, mainly the Andes and tepuis.-Taxonomy:There are eight recognized subspecies of Masked Trogon:...
, Trogon personatus - Black-throated TrogonBlack-throated TrogonThe Black-throated Trogon, Trogon rufus, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It is also called "Yellow-bellied Trogon", but as it is not the only trogon with a yellow belly this should be avoided...
, Trogon rufus - Surucua TrogonSurucua TrogonThe Surucua Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is found in humid forest and nearby habitats in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and far north-eastern Argentina. It includes two subspecies; the southern nominate subspecies with a red belly and the northern aurantius with...
, Trogon surrucura- Brazilian Trogon, Trogon (surrucura) aurantius
- Blue-crowned TrogonBlue-crowned TrogonThe Blue-crowned Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru....
, Trogon curucui - Black-tailed TrogonBlack-tailed TrogonThe Black-tailed Trogon, Trogon melanurus, is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is found in humid forest in the Amazon Basin, north-western South America and adjacent Panama...
, Trogon melanurus - Ecuadorian TrogonEcuadorian TrogonThe Ecuadorian Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family. It is found in deciduous and semi-humid forest and woodland in western Ecuador and far north-western Peru. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Black-tailed Trogon, which it resembles, except for its white...
, Trogon mesurus - Slaty-tailed TrogonSlaty-tailed TrogonThe Slaty-tailed Trogon, Trogon massena, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It breeds in lowlands from southeastern Mexico south through Central America, to Colombia, and a small region of northwestern Ecuador....
, Trogon massena - Lattice-tailed TrogonLattice-tailed TrogonThe Lattice-tailed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Trogon clathratus
- Black-headed Trogon
- Genus Euptilotis
- Eared QuetzalEared QuetzalThe Eared Quetzal , also known as the Eared Trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. It breeds in streamside pine-oak forests and canyons in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico south to western Michoacán. It is sometimes seen as a vagrant to southeasternmost Arizona in...
, Euptilotis neoxenus
- Eared Quetzal
- Genus Pharomachrus
- Resplendent QuetzalResplendent QuetzalThe Resplendent Quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a bird in the trogon family. It is found from southern Mexico to western Panama . It is well known for its colorful plumage. There are two subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m...
, Pharomachrus mocinno - Crested QuetzalCrested QuetzalThe Crested Quetzal is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
, Pharomachrus antisianus - White-tipped QuetzalWhite-tipped QuetzalThe White-tipped Quetzal is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.It is found in Venezuela, Colombia, and Guyana. In Venezuela and Colombia, three separated ranges occur, all contiguous and on the northern coasts. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane...
, Pharomachrus fulgidus - Golden-headed QuetzalGolden-headed QuetzalThe Golden-Headed Quetzal is a colorful bird native to highlands forests in South America.- Description :Males and females are approximately the same size, having a total length of ca. 35 cm and a weight of 160 g. as adults. Adult males are iridescent green with a golden cast to their heads,...
, Pharomachrus auriceps - Pavonine QuetzalPavonine QuetzalThe Pavonine Quetzal is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family, the trogons. It is found in the Amazon Basin of the North Region, Brazil, Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and northern Bolivia; also regions of Venezuela....
, Pharomachrus pavoninus
- Resplendent Quetzal
- Genus Apaloderma
- Family Trogonidae
External links
- Trogon videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Tree of Life: Trogonidae