Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Ecuador, 2011.

Bird name: Masked Trogon
Latin: Trogon personatus
Other:
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, SC Venezuela
Similar:

Masked Trogons were seen in many locations in Ecuador - Mindo, Milpe, Mindo Lindo, Bellavista, Guango, San Isidro.

Males are green, black and red with white marks. Females are brown and red. Many more examples in “more photos”.


More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Ecuador, 2010.

Bird name: Choco Trogon
Latin: Trogon comptus
Other: White-eyed Trogon
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: W Colombia, NW Ecuador
Similar: Ecuadorian Trogon

Wonderful shot of a Choco Trogon by Tom. I missed this one in Mindo. Note white iris, no eye-ring or white breast-band.

Copyright: monacoeye • Pipeline Rd, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Tailed Trogon
Latin: Trogon chionurus
Other:
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Panama to W Ecuador

The White-Tailed Trogon is now considered a separate species from T. viridis. Both male and female White-Tailed Trogons have pale blue eye rings and predominantly white tails (unlike all other Panamanian yellow bellied trogons). The female has slate grey upperparts while the male is bluish-black. Both have yellow bellies.

We saw several in Central Panama, including one from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower. Also seen in Ecuador at the Rio Silanche Reserve (see “more photos” below).
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Soberania Park, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Throated Trogon
Latin: Trogon rufus
Other: Surucuá amarillo (Es) • Surucuá-de-barriga-amarela (Br)
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Panama, Honduras to Ecuador, Amazonia, N Argentina

Both male and female Black Throated Trogons have a blue eyering - the female has an outer white ring. Both sexes have a yellow belly and striped tail with two or three thick white bands. Males have green upperparts, black face, light grey shoulder and yellow bill. Females have brown head and chest and dark bill.

We saw several in central Panama, in Soberania National Park, Pipeline Road, Plantation Road and in the Metropolitan Park - so this was probably the most common type of Trogon we encountered.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pipeline Rd, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Tailed Trogon
Latin: Trogon melanurus
Other:
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Panama to Venezuela, Amazonia

Here is a female Black-tailed Trogon seen in on the Pipeline Road in central Panama. Note predominantly dark tail, red belly, greyish upperparts, and yellow lower bill.

Bill colour differentiates Black-tailed Trogons from Slaty-Tailed Trogons, which have red bills.

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Slaty Tailed Trogon
Latin: Trogon massena
Other: Trogón grande (Es)
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: SE Mexico to NE Ecuador

The Slaty Tailed Trogon is identifiable by its orange-red bill and red belly with dark tail.

Males (above) have greenish head and top parts and red eye-ring, while females are slate grey. Males have light grey shoulders and upper wings. The female (directly below) tends to have a darkish upper bill and reddish lower bill. Bill and eye-ring colour is the best way to differentiate Slaty-tailed Trogons from Black-tailed Trogons.

We saw several in Soberania National Park, including on Pipeline Rd and from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • El Valle, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Collared Trogon
Latin: Trogon collaris
Other: T. aurantiiventris
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: E Mexico through Amazonia, SE Brazil

Pictured here is the Orange Bellied Trogon, which is an orange-bellied colour morph of the Collared Trogon. The Orange-bellied Trogon was previously considered a separate species T. aurantiiventris, found in Costa Rica and Western Panama.

The more typical Collared Trogon has a red belly. Males have green head, white chest line and striped tail. Females have brown head white chest line and mostly white tail.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Central Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Gartered Trogon
Latin: Trogon caligatus
Other: T. violaceus, Northern Violaceous Trogon
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: E Mexico to NW South America

When I saw this bird earlier this year it was identified as a Violaceous Trogon, but since then this northern type has been split from Violaceous Trogon into a new species called Gartered Trogon. I.e. Trogon caligatus is split from Trogon violaceus, the latter is only found in Amazonia.

Gartered Trogon males have a yellow eye-ring, orange yellow belly, deep bluish head, barred tail with two or three large white bands. Females (above) have a slate grey head and chest and black central tail feathers on an otherwise barred tail. Bill not yellow.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • El Valle, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Orange Bellied Trogon
Latin: Trogon aurantiiventris
Other: Collared Trogon • T. aurantiirostris in Ridgely fieldguide
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Costa Rica to Central Panama

Orange-Bellied Trogon is now recognised as a colour morph of Collared Trogon - see Collared Trogon for more details.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, RJ • November 2009

Bird name: Surucua Trogon
Latin: Trogon surrucura
Other: Surucuá-variado • Trogon aurantius • Brazilian Trogon
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons

Not very good shots of great-looking birds! Sorry trogons, I didn’t do you justice. I think both of these are Surucua Trogons, though I’m not completely sure. There are two subspecies - the nominate form has a red belly and Trogon surrucura aurantius has a yellow belly.

The yellow-bellied one below had caught a large pink and green striped caterpillar and then set about eating it.

I’ve identified these both as Surucua Trogons from the tail patterns, but there are a few similar-looking species, so can’t be sure really. I think the red-bellied one (more black in the tail) is female and the yellow-bellied one (mostly white tail) is male.

The Surucua Trogon lives in southeast Brazil and neighbouring countries.More photos...

088 Trogonidae - Quetzals, Trogons - IOC 2.4 June 2010.

Family: Trogonidae - the Quetzals and Trogons, 42 species currently.

Euptilotis neoxenus - Eared Quetzal - W Mexico

Pharomachrus pavoninus - Pavonine Quetzal - Amazonia
Pharomachrus auriceps - Golden-headed Quetzal - Venezuela to N Bolivia
Pharomachrus fulgidus - White-tipped Quetzal - N Venezuela, N Colombia
Pharomachrus mocinno - Resplendent Quetzal - S Mexico to W Panama
Pharomachrus antisianus - Crested Quetzal - Venezuela to N Bolivia

Priotelus temnurus - Cuban Trogon - Cuba
Priotelus roseigaster - Hispaniolan Trogon - Hispaniola

Trogon clathratus - Lattice-tailed Trogon - Costa Rica, Panama
Trogon massena - Slaty-tailed Trogon - SE Mexico to NE Ecuador
Trogon comptus - Choco Trogon - W Colombia, NW Ecuador
Trogon mesurus - Ecuadorian Trogon - W Ecuador, NW Peru (split from T. melanurus)
Trogon melanurus - Black-tailed Trogon - Panama to Venezuela, Amazonia
Trogon melanocephalus - Black-headed Trogon - SE Mexico to N Costa Rica
Trogon citreolus - Citreoline Trogon - W Mexico
Trogon chionurus - White-tailed Trogon - Panama to W Ecuador (not sister sp of T. viridis)
Trogon bairdii - Baird's Trogon - Costa Rica, Panama
Trogon viridis - Green-backed Trogon - Amazonia, SE Brazil (not sister sp of T. chionurus)
Trogon caligatus - Gartered Trogon - E Mexico to NW South America (split from T. violaceus)
Trogon violaceus - Violaceous Trogon - Amazonia, Guianas
Trogon curucui - Blue-crowned Trogon - Central and Eastern South America
Trogon surrucura - Surucua Trogon - SE South America
Trogon rufus - Black-throated Trogon - Honduras to Ecuador, Amazonia, SE
Trogon elegans - Elegant Trogon - SW USA to Costa Rica
Trogon mexicanus - Mountain Trogon - Mexico to Honduras
Trogon collaris - Collared Trogon - E Mexico through Amazonia, SE Brazil (includes T. aurantiiventris, Orange-Bellied Trogon)
Trogon personatus - Masked Trogon - Colombia to Peru, SC Venezuela

Apaloderma narina - Narina Trogon - Africa - widespread
Apaloderma aequatoriale - Bare-cheeked Trogon - Central and WC Africa
Apaloderma vittatum - Bar-tailed Trogon - WC and Eastern Africa

Apalharpactes reinwardtii - Javan Trogon - Java (from Blue-tailed Trogon to Javan Trogon)
Apalharpactes mackloti - Sumatran Trogon - Sumatra

Harpactes fasciatus - Malabar Trogon - India & Sri Lanka
Harpactes kasumba - Red-naped Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Harpactes diardii - Diard's Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Harpactes ardens - Philippine Trogon - Philippines
Harpactes whiteheadi - Whitehead's Trogon - Borneo
Harpactes orrhophaeus - Cinnamon-rumped Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Borneo
Harpactes duvaucelii - Scarlet-rumped Trogon - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Harpactes oreskios - Orange-breasted Trogon - Southeast Asia, Greater Sundas
Harpactes erythrocephalus - Red-headed Trogon - Himalayas & S China to Sumatra
Harpactes wardi - Ward's Trogon - NE India to N Vietnam

Trogons are insect and fruit eaters and live in tree holes. They have weak legs, so don’t move much when settled. When observed they turn their back to hide their colourful front. They respond well to calls. They have a unique adaptation of toes where digits 3 and 4 point forward and 1 and 2 point back.