From Opus

Alternative Names: Coppery-tailed Trogon (esp. northernmost race)

Male
Photo by: Stanley Jones
Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, March 2012

Trogon elegans

[edit] Identification

Length 28-30cm (11-12") A brightly coloured bird unmistakable in its range.
In the male, a blue face and head grades on the back to irridescent green, which extends to the copper-coloured tail. On the front, a green chin and upper breast separates the bright red lower breast and belly by narrow pure white band. Tail is long, narrow, and square-tipped, with subtle bands of white and grey, black tip.
Female is similar, except with brown head and back, and a small white spot below and behind the eye.

Superficially resembles a parrot, but with small bill and feet. Erect to "hunchback" posture.

Fledgling
Photo by jmorlan
Madera Canyon, Arizona, June 2004

[edit] Distribution

United States: found from south-eastern Arizona to Costa Rica.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• T. e. canascens:

• very local in extreme south-eastern Arizona, some sightings in extreme south-western New Mexico, both winter only.

• T. e. goldmani:

• Tres Marias Island, western Mexico

• T. e. ambibuus:

• Eastern and central Mexico

• T. e. elegans:

• South-eastern Guatemala

• T. e. lubricus:

• Honduras, Nicaragua, north-western Costa Rica

[edit] Habitat

Mountain forests, canyons, riparian areas with Sycamore trees, chiefly at altitudes from 1200 to 1800m.

[edit] Behaviour

Tends to perch rather motionless for long periods on perches from 4-15m. above the ground. Drops to the ground to capture prey, but returns to perch to consume them. Solitary.

[edit] Diet

Diet includes insects, especially grasshoppers, and berries.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist

• List of references

[edit] External Links