From Opus

Trogon viridis

Includes Green-backed Trogon, Amazonian White-tailed Trogon, and Western White-tailed Trogon

Photo by Steve G
Male left, female right. Nominate subspecies photographed on Trinidad.

[edit] Identification

A large trogon that easily can be confused with the Violaceous Trogon and the Surucua Trogon. The complete bluish-white eye-ring and lack of barring to the undertail are often useful features for the White-tailed.

[edit] Distribution

Found throughout humid forested areas of tropical South America (just extending into Panama), incl. the Chocó, Amazon and Atlantic forest.

[edit] Taxonomy

The taxon chionurus from the Chocó of western Ecuador, western Colombia and eastern Panama may represent a separate species from the remaining populations. A split have been accepted by the SACC and OPUS is waiting for the major checklists to see if they will follow. New names would be White-tailed Trogon (T. chionurus) and Green-backed Trogon represented by the mainly Amazonian race viridis (nominate) and the Atlantic forest melanopterus (this form has also been called Amazonian White-tailed Trogon and chionurus would then be Western White-tailed Trogon).

[edit] Habitat

Humid forest and woodland.

[edit] Behaviour

Although a colourful bird, it can easily be overlooked because of its habit of sitting quietly for long periods. Frugivorous.

[edit] References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. SACC proposal to split White-tailed Trogon

• List of references

[edit] External Links

Separating the White-tailed from the Surucua Trogon (ssp. aurantius)