Masked Trogon
Trogon personatus
Average red-bellied trogon of subtropical forests. Male is iridescent green on breast, head, and back; female is brown. Namesake dark mask is usually obvious, especially on females. Nearly identical to Collared Trogon but very little overlap; Masked is almost always found at higher elevations. Where both are possible, look especially at tail pattern on males: large white tips on underside of tail feathers, otherwise dark with very fine white barring. On females, look for evenly barred undertail with large white tips combined with contrasting black face. Usually found singly or in pairs, perched quietly from the understory to the subcanopy. Listen for slow series of 3–6 descending whistles.
Identification
The masked trogon is a mid-sized trogon, averaging 27 centimetres (11 in) in length and 56 grams (2.0 oz) in mass. Like all trogons, it displays sexual dimorphism. The upperparts, head, and upper chest of the male are variously glossy green, reddish-bronze, or golden-green (depending on the subspecies). The belly and lower breast are red; the latter separated from the greenish upper chest by a narrow white band. The male has a distinct eye-ring, which is red in most subspecies, but tending towards orange in the subspecies from the tepuis. The female is brown above, with a pinkish to red belly and breast; the white band separating brown and red on her underside is often either narrow or obscured. Females of all subspecies have a partial white eye-ring.
Taxonomy
There are eight recognized subspecies of masked trogon:
- Scientific name
- Trogon personatus
- Authority
- Gould, 1842
- Order
- Trogoniformes
- Family
- Trogonidae
- Genus
- Trogon
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Like all trogons, the masked trogon feeds on both fruits and insects.<p>The masked trogon excavates a cavity nest in the soft wood of a rotting vertical tree trunk.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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