Alternative name: Western White-tailed Trogon
- Trogon chionurus
Identification
28–29 cm (11-11½ in)
Male
- Bluish-black head and breast
- Bright yellow belly to undertail-coverts
- Bluish-white eyering
Similar Species
A large trogon that easily can be confused with the Gartered Trogon and the Surucua Trogon.
The complete bluish-white eye-ring and lack of barring to the undertail are often useful features for distinguishing the White-tailed.
Distribution
Central and South America: found from the lowlands of eastern Panama to western Colombia and western Ecuador.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It was formerly considered conspecific with Green-backed Trogon.
Habitat
Humid forest, forest edges and mature second growth.
Behaviour
Although a colourful bird, it can easily be overlooked because of its habit of sitting quietly for long periods.
Diet
There is very little information. They are thought to be frugivorous and also known to eat some insects such as ants.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- SACC proposal to split White-tailed Trogon
- BF Member observations
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2018)
- Separating the White-tailed from the Surucua Trogon (ssp. aurantius)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-tailed Trogon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-tailed_Trogon
