Birds of Ecuador

    TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae (Trogons)  
Genus: Trogon (12 species, 20 worldwide)

Trogons are slender colorful birds that inhabit tropical forests worldwide. Sizes rance from 23 to 33 cm.. American Trogons comsume both fruits and insects, and consume both by taking the food item in flight. Nests are made in holes in rotting wood, termite or wasp nests.


Gartered Trogon
Gartered Trogon (Trogon caligatus) Male
ProAves Blue-billed Curassow Reserve, Puerto Pinzon, Boyaca, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Gartered Trogon
Gartered Trogon (Trogon caligatus sallaei) Male
Rio Danta, Guapiles, Costa Rica  
   
Photograph by Jorge Obando Gutierrez   © Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved.

Gartered Trogon
Gartered Trogon (Trogon caligatus) Female
Zafra Reserva Natural, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A small trogon. Note broken (or thin at top/bottom) eye-ring on female, and yellow eye-ring on male.
From back with broken eye-ring.

White-tailed Trogon
White-tailed Trogon (Trogon chionurus) Male
Bahia Solano, Choco, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

White-tailed Trogon
White-tailed Trogon (Trogon chionurus) Female
ProAves Blue-billed Curassow Reserve, Puerto Pinzon, Boyaca, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Collared Trogon
Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris collaris) Male
Reserva Natural La Isla Escondida, Orito, Putumayo, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Collared Trogon
Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris) Female
Minga Ecolodge, Cali, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Generally found below 1800 m. Similar to high altitude Masked Trogon, with some range overlap around 1800-2000m. Note female has two colored bill compared to higher altitude Masked Trogon, and the male inside tail pattern is less finely streaked and doesn't have large white patches.
A Andean male.
An unusual orange-bellied individual reminiscent of the Orange-bellied Trogon in Costa Rica that was lumped with the Collared Trogon.


Choco Trogon
Choco Trogon (Trogon comptus) Male
Anchicaya, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Choco Trogon
Choco Trogon (Trogon comptus) Female
Farallones National Park, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Also called Blue-tailed Trogon. Note white eye, and blue back of tail.
From back.

Blue-crowned Trogon
Blue-crowned Trogon (Trogon curucui behni) Male
Botanical Gardens, Santa Cruz, Bolivia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Blue-crowned Trogon
Blue-crowned Trogon (Trogon curucui) Male
Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil  
   
Photograph by Rodrigo Conte   © All Rights Reserved.

Blue-crowned Trogon
Blue-crowned Trogon (Trogon curucui) Female
Botanical Gardens, Santa Cruz, Bolivia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Slaty-tailed Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon (Trogon massena) Male
Darien, Panama  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Slaty-tailed Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon (Trogon massena hoffmanni) Female
Soberania National Park, Panama
  Female is overall greyish, but has a red belly like the male.
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Black-tailed Trogon
Black-tailed Trogon (Trogon melanurus) Male
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia
  The back is reflective dark blue/green, and back of tail is blue.
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Black-tailed Trogon
Black-tailed Trogon (Trogon melanurus melanurus) Female
Manaus, Brazil  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A large trogon generally seen higher in the canopy than other trogon species.
Male from back.

Ecuadorian Trogon
Ecuadorian Trogon (Trogon mesurus) Male
south, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Francesco Veronesi     Copyright and usage info

Most closely related to Choco Trogon further north, and then the Black-tailed Trogon. Note white eye.


Masked Trogon
Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus temperatus) Male
San Isidro Lodge, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Masked Trogon
Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus temperatus) Female
Tandayapa Lodge, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Found at over 1800m in most of the Andes. Compare to Collared Trogon found at lower altitudes; on male note more finely barred tail with bigger white patches.
Mating.
Male from front.


Amazonian Trogon
Amazonian Trogon (Trogon ramonianus) Male
Reserva Natural Escondite, Putumayo, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Amazonian Trogon
Amazonian Trogon (Trogon ramonianus ramonianus) Female
Reserva Natural Escondite, Putumayo, Colombia
  Note broken eye-ring.
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A smaller trogon, and closely related to the Gartered Trogon. Note, like Gartered, the male has yellow eye-ring, and female has eye-ring broken at the top and/or bottom.
Male from back.

Black-throated Trogon
Black-throated Trogon (Trogon rufus) Male
Tirimbina, Costa Rica  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Black-throated Trogon
Black-throated Trogon (Trogon rufus tenellus) Female
Tirimbina, Costa Rica  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Black-throated Trogon
Black-throated Trogon (Trogon rufus) Female
Mutatá, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Sometimes called the Rufous Trogon because the female has head, back and back of tail are rufous. Male has green back, unlike other trogons with yellow.
An interesting bird apparently changing colors.

Green-backed Trogon
Green-backed Trogon (Trogon viridis) Male
 
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Green-backed Trogon
Green-backed Trogon (Trogon viridis) Female
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Generally the most common trogon in its range.
Male from front.
Additional photo.


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