Trogons: Trogoniformes - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Orange-breasted Trogon (harpactes Oreskios): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, TROGONS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS
Trogons are distributed throughout central and southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and north and central South America.
Trogons usually live in tropical forests, being found from rainforests to tropical woodlands. Most species are scattered within the tropics and subtropics, usually inhabiting the middle elevations of forests. On the northern and southern edges of their habitat, trogons live in drier climates including thorn forests, bamboo thickets, and savannas (flat grasslands).
Hunters and collectors have targeted trogons for their brilliant tail feathers. Trogans, especially the quetzal (kett-SAHL), have often been given special status among ancient peoples. Today, many trogon species are very popular with tourists and nature lovers.
Trogons are relatively common but are still adversely affected by habitat destruction from humans. Ten trogons are identified as Near Threatened, in danger of becoming threatened with extinction, on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List in 2002.
Additional Topics
Trogons (TROH-gahnz) are medium-sized, compact, brightly plumaged (feathered) birds that live mostly in trees; possess thin, delicate skin; soft and dense plumage; short necks; short, heavy, broad-hooked bills; short, rounded wings; long, broadly squared tails; and small, weak legs and feet. They are 9 to 16 inches (23 to 41 centimeters) long (excluding the tail streamer, the central part of the t…
Trogons eat fruits and insects, and sometimes small vertebrates (animals with backbones), although diets vary depending on the continent. African species are either exclusively insectivorous (feeding solely on insects) or carnivorous (feeding solely on meat), while species in Asia and the Americas eat both foods. Moths, butterflies, stick insects, beetles, small lizards, snails, frogs, and other s…
Trogons fly with a graceful up and down motion, but are reluctant to fly far. Because trogons have short legs and weak feet, they are unable to walk. Normally, they sit still, making them difficult to find. They generally do not migrate. Trogons pair monogamously (muh-NAH-guh-mus-lee; each bird having just one mate), and become territorial while breeding. They are solitary during the nonbreeding s…
Physical characteristics: Orange-breasted trogons generally have an olive-yellow head with feathers that are bristled and upright, chestnut upperparts, orange breast that changes to bright yellow on upper and lower portions, white bars on wing sections, and a blue bill. Males have a dull olive-yellowish head with a blue ring; rufous (reddish brown) upperparts and upper tail with paler rump (lower …
Physical characteristics: Resplendent quetzals generally have brilliant glittering gold-green upperparts, including the head and upper chest, which change to bluish colors depending on the direction they are seen in the sunlight. Their underparts are crimson in color from the middle to lower sections of the breast. Flight feathers are blackish, with parts beneath the tail being white. Males have a…
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